The Health Benefits of Deep Breathing

You oversleep, the shower is freezing, the coffee is stale, the kids have missed the bus, and when you finally head off to work, you find yourself stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic as your first appointment comes and goes. Hurry up and wait! as your stress level skyrockets. Sound familiar? If so, read on, because relief is only a few deep breaths away.

Abdominal Breathing

It's called deep abdominal breathing. It's a technique for consciously controlling your breath, shifting it from your chest down to your belly. If you have access to one, watch a baby breathe. Notice its belly doing the work as opposed to the chest, which is what most adults use when we breathe. Why should you care? Because deep breathing is the equivalent of a high-powered flush to the immune system.

Personal Sewage System

Like it or not, our bodies are one big toxic waste dump. On any given day, we are subjected to both physical and mental stressors like germs, family and work life, even the daily news. Fortunately, each of us has our own version of a high-efficiency, personal sewage system. It's called the Lymphatic System and it consists of a series of ducts and nodes designed to flush out and destroy harmful bacteria, viruses and other toxins. If not for our lymphatic system, we wouldn't survive 24 hours. And would you believe we can exert a measure of control over this process? If you guessed yes, move to the head of the line.

Marcelle Pick writes in her article, DEEP BREATHING - THE TRULY ESSENTIAL EXERCISE, that deep breathing is an effective adjunct to conventional medical treatment for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and even obesity. Deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of your central nervous system responsible for calming you down. This relaxation response kicks your lymphatic system into high gear.

Practice Makes Perfect

Abdominal breathing is easy to learn but takes practice to perfect. Dr. Andrew Weil, a proponent of deep breathing, recommends this simple routine practiced twice daily for 5 minutes:

1. Exhale completely by squeezing your belly button toward your spine
2. Inhale deeply for 4 counts
3. Hold for 7 counts
4. Exhale completely (through the mouth) for 8 counts

On those days when you feel stress riding shotgun, try deep belly breathing. It only takes minutes a day, but it can change your life.