The value of breathing properly

I read some where that 9 out of 10 people breathe improperly. All babies and animals breathe in the right way but somehow as we grow older, we lose that instinct. Most people tend to breathe in a shallow manner, inhaling air up to the chest instead of all the way to their lungs. I am one big culprit. I'm a bad owner of my lungs and of my body, for that matter. When I'm focused on doing something, especially when I'm rushing for something, I forget to breathe. This is very damaging to my sleep and my health because all the breathes I forget to take during the day catch up with me at night, leaving me breathless and tensed when I hit the bed.

This is how I know I am not breathing properly:

Lie down on a flat surface and place the palms of hands on abdomen, just below ribs.

Breathe normally.

If the hand on the abdomen rises while chest is flat, that means you are breathing properly. If it’s the chest that rises while the abdomen barely moves at all, that means you are breathing improperly.

Even if we are not breathing properly, we can still correct it with daily exercises.

Here’s what I TRY to do on a daily basis:

Lie down flat your back with my knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. This can be done while sitting or standing up straight, too.

Place hands on abdomen, just below ribs, palms flat against stomach.

Breathe slowly and gradually through the nose, counting up to five. Imagine you are inflating a balloon in your stomach while you are inhaling. Your hands should rise with the abdomen as you breathe in. Make sure that your shoulders do not rise up while you are inhaling.

Hold your breath for a few seconds, but don’t prolong it.

Exhale as slowly and gradually as you have inhaled, counting to five. Imagine the inflated balloon in the stomach slowly deflating while you are exhaling. Your hands should also go down as your abdomen deflates.

We should practice proper breathing for around five minutes at a time, two or three times a day. We can do it the first thing in the morning, while taking a break from work, and before we go to sleep.

Having a proper breathing method may seem like a small thing, but it takes effort to remember and practice. I did a pretty good job when I was in Switzerland and at home but now that I'm at work, it's extremely challenging. But I will continue to try. I want to live life fully and for that to happen I must unlearn the bad habits and re-learn how to take life one full breathe at a time.

http://monsterguide.net/how-to-breathe-properly