meditation (Photo credit: HaPe_Gera)
By Michelle Robin, D.C.
Breath is looked upon as life, as spirit, throughout world cultures. Breath has both physiological and emotional connections. Breathing is both reactionary and proactive. Your breathing will respond to your physical or emotional circumstances; you can also control your breathing to affect your physical and emotional responses. Breath is energizing, cleansing, and restorative—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. Before I discuss how interwoven breath is into the well-being of your mind-body-spirit, take a moment to assess your awareness of your own well-being and the quality of your breathing. …
The power of conscious breathing is inherent in the body’s design. All you have to do is reawaken your dormant intelligence, your dormant understanding of conscious breathing, and through practice you can begin breathing at your own most efficient rate. It doesn’t matter if you have breathed poorly for years. Once you start to breathe deeply and well, your entire system is reactivated according to original design and immediately begins to bring you benefits.
It’s easy to see this process at work when you are under stress. The muscles of respiration tend to be the first to respond to negative emotions; there is always a response of tension that occurs at the edges of the range of motion. This means that when you are worried, anxious, angry, or afraid, you stop breathing fully in and out. You decrease your range of breathing motion; you lock down. As your system gets less oxygen, you are less able to sustain a state of well-being on all levels. …
Read More Breathe Deeply | Unity.
