Explore The Magical Benefits Of Deep Breathing

I remember when I was a little girl, my father would always remind me to make deep breathing a habit whenever I feel overwhelmed. As an anxious child, I was easily influenced by the energy of my surroundings. I tend to get nervous while being in unfamiliar environments and dealing with strangers. That hasn’t changed much even as I grew into adulthood. I just got better at hiding my anxiety most of the time. My dad’s advice has proven to be useful time after time. I applied that golden piece of advice and took control of any situations with ease. It only takes some deep breaths to attain a calmer mind and I’m ready for anything that comes my way.

The Importance Of Deep Breaths

Breathing helps in transporting oxygen to body cells and vital organs through the bloodstream. It is an essential mechanism that maintains the proper functioning of our body. As human beings, we can endure days without food or water. But not breathing for a few minutes could result in fatality. Even though breathing is key to our survival, we often give it little to no thought at all. Despite it being our source of fuel, we take every breath we inhale and exhale for granted. Every day we breathe in and out unconsciously, yet it makes all the difference to our health and wellness. Mindful breathing is the essence of meditation practices. Breathing is a powerful tool that not only brings us health, but also peace and serenity. Take a deep breath while we dive into some of the magical benefits it brings to our mind, body and soul.

What Deep Breathing Does To Our Brains

Taking deep breaths has miraculous effects on our brains. When we breathe in deeply, our mind calms down tremendously. It has been proven that as little as 25 minutes of yoga or meditation can improve brain function significantly. Make deep breathing a daily habit in order to boost overall brain health and wellness.

One of the simplest relaxing breathing technique is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. It consists of rhythmic breathing that ensures head-to-toe relaxation. This breathing method involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. It is a very helpful and effortless way to ease people into deeper sleep.

Interestingly enough, if you’re one to struggle with focus and concentration, the solution to your problem is as simple as inhaling the proper way! Researchers discovered that breathing properly enhances your attention to detail by promoting the growth of new neural connections. The next time you find yourself distracted at any time of the day, take a few deep breaths. You’ll regain your undivided attention to complete each task at hand with improved productivity.

Besides that, did you know that it can also help with stress management? All it takes is a few deep breaths to stop our minds from racing. It keeps us rooted into the present moment by promoting mindfulness. It also helps us slow down our pace and worry less about things we can’t control. When you breathe with a consistent rhythm, your brain relaxes and “feel good” hormones called endorphins are released. They make you more relaxed by giving you a sense of euphoria.

How Deep Breaths Can Improve Our Health

Besides the many benefits deep breathing can offer for our mental wellness, it also significantly boosts our physical well being. For individuals suffering from cardiovascular diseases, here’s the good news! A few simple, deep breaths has been proven to lower heart rates and consequently blood pressure. When you control the rhythm of your breathing, your body will feel more at ease and your blood pressure will be well-regulated. This can help to reduce the risk of stroke and even cerebral aneurysm.

One of the ways we can boost our immune system and energy metabolism is through deep breathing. We all know that stress isn’t good for our body, but it can be hard to not overthink and worry sometimes. Controlled and deep breathing helps to fight the progression of autoimmune diseases by calming down our nervous system. Cortisol is the stress hormone in our body. Too much stress lead to high cortisol levels which results in poor immunity, sleeplessness and hormone imbalance.

Deep Breathing Equals To Deeper Sleep

As a long-term sufferer of insomnia myself, I can personally vouch for it when I say deep inhales and exhales can help you sleep better at night. I find that it really helps to calm my mind and slow down my heart rate when I’m hoping to get some shut-eye. Take a few deep, slow breaths and I guarantee that you’ll fall into deep slumber in a wink! You will discover that the secret to undisturbed, quality sleep is really as simple as breathing in deeply. Life is too short to toss and turn all night only to suffer the next day.

On stressful days, it is inevitable to worry about the many things on your to-do list. It can be difficult to shut your thoughts off even when you’re already lying in bed at night. However, there is one easy trick to instantly silence the noise in your head. The key is to not fight the thoughts in your head but rather let them be. Calmly soothe the noise in your head with slow, deep breaths. Each deep inhale and exhale will help with mental relaxation. When your mind is well-relaxed, sleep will eventually come.

Live Better With Deep Breathing

It still astonishes me how simple and intuitive breathing can bring such deep and profound influence to our daily lives. Feel the difference and reap the benefits of deep breathing when you set aside a few minutes daily to practise deep inhales and exhales. Harness the power of deep breathing to enhance the quality of your life!

Check out Nafas Yoga if you’re interested in experiencing the benefits that yoga and deep breathing can offer. They have a series of classes that emphasises on breath, movement and alignment.