Breathing is what keeps us alive. You can go without water for a couple days, without sleep, or without food, but take away oxygen for a few minutes and there will not be much of you left. Because breathing plays such a crucial role in our lives, it should be done at a comfortable, easy pace in order to get the most benefit from it. You would be surprised what good breathing can do for the mind, body, and soul!

As we age, the volume of our lungs decreases. We lose anywhere from 9% to 25% of our respiratory capacity with each passing decade after our mid twenties, meaning that as we get older, the cells in our lungs deteriorate faster than they can be reproduced. This can be heightened by stress and anxiety, and can also lead to heart disease.

Healthy breathing exercises improve your breathing capacity by cleansing the lungs, and ridding it of a significant percentage of metabolic waste, much more so than by sweating or defecating. Good belly breathing also greatly relaxes the diaphragm, increases oxygenation and is a good way to massage the abdominal lymphs. It is by far the best way to release pent up stress or negative energy.

If you are not familiar with belly breathing, it entails breathing in through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth without puffing up the chest. Essentially you are breathing from your diaphragm. If you want to try it, lie on your back, place pillows behind your neck and under your knees, and feel your belly rise and fall by placing your palms at the base of your rib cage. It is the most efficient way to get the most out of each breath, and will also instill a sense of peace and tranquility to our otherwise turbulent lifestyles. Who knew that slightly altering the simple act of breathing could provide such reward!

References:

http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm