A rooting
No wonder breathing is an integral part of many alternative medicines such as meditation, sophrology or yoga. Concentrating on your breathing is a good anchor point to be attentive to your sensations and to avoid getting mentally scattered. By observing its rhythm, without trying to change it, it is interesting to note that the regular movement soothes us, and brings us back to a state of concentration. Whenever we feel in a situation of confusion, we come back in full consciousness to our breathing. It calms our mental restlessness.
A stress reliever
In times of stress, our heart and breathing speed up. Sometimes you can even take your breath away. But by knowing how to control your breathing, you have a great stress reliever which releases our anxieties and our tensions. To take advantage of this, we train in abdominal breathing, through the belly. How it works ? We use the diaphragm, the main breathing muscle, located in the solar plexus area, the seat of our emotions. We inspire by inflating the belly until filling the lungs and we breathe by returning the belly by doubling the time of the expiration (the longer the time of the expiration is, the more it relaxes).
An internal massage
With each respiratory movement, the air that enters our lungs travels through the body and massages the organs. Breathing well therefore contributes to good overall health by also promoting cell oxygenation and the internal circulation of fluids (blood, lymph, secretions) and energy.
A draining effect
Respiratory balance contributes to the proper functioning of the digestive organs. In the same way that it evacuates tensions, it stimulates the evacuation of waste and toxins. In the morning to activate the transit, you can perform abdominal breathing.
An optimistic ally
When dark clouds darken our mind, breathing can brighten the horizon of our thoughts. To do this, we breathe in while thinking of something positive (anything, the people we love, a holiday memory, a pleasure we had) and we breathe out the negative.
Another tip: inhale until you fill your lungs. Then, we hold our breath for a few seconds while thinking of a positive term (relaxation, energy…), before releasing on the exhale.
An energy booster
In case of fatigue, you can restore tone by practicing several complete breaths: we inspire by inflating the belly until completely filling our lungs. The air passes through the solar plexus and climbs until it “tickles” our shoulders.
At the end of the inspiration, you hold your breath for a few seconds before expelling the accumulated air through your mouth by drawing your stomach in. As for abdominal breathing, the duration of the exhalation is prolonged to accentuate the relaxation effect.
>> To read also: Flat stomach: the breathing method that changes everything
