If you’ve done any research on the causes of physical problems, from the common cold to major diseases, you may have noticed that the increase of stress in our lives is a major factor. Yes, there is good stress that challenges you to make a positive and often necessary change in your life, but there is also the negative stress which takes away from your life and can potentially destroy it. That is the stress I’m going to focus on today, but as an added bonus, my recommendations will also enhance those changes made from other types of stresses.
While I’ve written about the positive benefits of exercise in relation to relieving stress, I am going to give you an additional approach. This easy-to-do, take-anywhere, no-cost routine is so simple that a newborn baby can do it. In fact, they do it well and as I think about it, for the most part, they are free from stress!
Give me an “O”. Give me a “2”. What’s that stand for? O2 -- Oxygen! Yes, it’s time to talk about breathing and I have become head cheerleader for the furtherance of regular, full breathing for everyone. Try it while you’re reading this. Take a very deep, full breath in through your nose. A little more…. Now, hold it. Exhale slowly through pursed lips. Great job. Now, inhale again through the nose. A little deeper this time. Let your chest expand. Good. Now, exhale slowly, making an “S” sound. Very good. Okay, one more try… Make sure you are sitting up tall. Inhale slowly through your nose. Exhale slowly with your mouth wide open, saying “aaaaahhh”. Feel a little more relaxed? Those are just three of the many ways you can breathe to relieve stress and relax.
You may think I’m joking about this, but I’ve never been more serious. People take the ability to breathe for granted. You take about 20,000 breaths per day. When you do not take a full, complete breath you compromise every cellular function of your body. Your bodies were created to have all of your systems function together in symmetry and the driving force behind it is breathing.
Anyone who has any sort of asthma, emphysema or other respiratory illness knows how precious each breath is. Research shows that practicing deep, complete breathing techniques like the few I showed you earlier have actually been proven to be a great benefit to those who suffer from asthma.
Regular breathing exercises do more than help you relax. A daily routine will help you think clearly, stay more focused and alert, require less sleep, prevent fatigue and give you more energy. There are additional benefits to including breathing exercises in your daily routine that are too numerous to mention.
As I stated before, breathing is good for whatever ails you -- it’s necessary for your body to function at its best, it’s easy to include in your daily regimen, it’s free and best of all – there is not a long list of negative side effects resulting from the use of this remedy. Plus, you can go ahead and check with your doctor if you’d like, but I doubt that he would tell you to stop breathing.
I encourage you to pick one, two or three of the exercises above and work up to ten repetitions. I am looking forward to hearing of your fabulous results.