13/10/2020
Breathing is a unique vital function. It belongs to the autonomic nervous system, which means that you don't have to think about breathing, it just happens as does your heartbeat or digestion. But it is the only involuntary function of
the body that can be brought under conscious control and by doing so, we access areas of our mindwhich are normally beyond our conscious awareness:
➳ We get to alter our heart rate by changing the rhythm in which we breath
➳ Calm down the nervous system
➳ Enhance the production of endorphins - the "feel good" hormones while reducing cortisol - the "stress hormone".
In other words, by sitting still and breathing consciously for few minutes we can manage our mood and emotions, release stress, and activate body's natural relaxation response. Even simple breath awareness will bring these benefits.
◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈
Simple Practice:
✢ Sit down in a comfortable position or lay down. In either case make sure that your spine is straight as this allows for easier movement of the diaphragm.
✢ Develop awareness of breath by simply counting it: 4 counts on an inhale and 4 counts on an exhale, or whichever count is comfortable.
✢ After a few rounds you can lengthen the breath, always keeping inhale and exhale equal.
5-10 minutes will be sufficient to notice the benefits. The longer you practice though, the better.
By doing this practice daily you will also become more aware of your breathing during the rest of the day.
Enjoy!
