My experience on breathing techniques

I try to cover in this blog the power of breathing techniques and my personal experience of these techniques. Again, I would like to iterate that this is purely my personal experience and in no way becomes the description of the techniques.

Deep breathing: The most powerful muscle in the human body is the diaphragm muscle, a dome shape muscle just below the rib cage. Deep breathing makes use of this diaphragm muscle. Most of us breathe from the chest using the intercostal muscle. Lungs are triangular in shape with majority of the lungs capacity comes from the lower part of the lungs. The diaphragm muscle activates the lower lobes of the lungs.

Endurance level: I personally have seen a great energy level with my deep breathing. My long run pace has improved considerably with deep breathing. Also, I could able to run nonstop at higher pace easily for more than 10Km. Endurance level improves once if we push the lactic threshold level. We touch upon lactic threshold region when there is a depletion of oxygen and the body moves to anaerobic zone. Deep breathing helps in oxygenating the body that keeps us in aerobic zone that helps in higher endurance level.

Breathing rate: Typically, the breathing rate for an average adult is 18/minute. Our breathing rate reduces with the regular practice of deep breathing for 10 minutes per day. In my case, breathing rate has reduced to 10/minute. This has tremendous psychic as well as the physiological benefits that can’t be undermined.

Perception: The first psychic effect is the change in the perception towards the life. Few of my experiences due to the changed perception have provided a greater confident in leading the life to its full. The slower breathing rate creates a space in the mind. In such case, mind is not fully occupied. This gives an opportunity for a renewed thinking & that leads to a better perception.

Relaxed state: The long exhalation of the deep breathing helps us to relax the body and the mind. This is mainly due to the toning up the parasympathetic nervous system that relaxes our body and the mind.

Anti-aging effect:  Each thought is an energy impulse. Too many thoughts mean too much of energy expenditure. A relaxed body and mind keep us in an energy conserving state. Personally, I have enjoyed immensely in this area.

Improved immunity system: An acidic body is the breeding ground for cancer and all other kinds of diseases. Deep breathing helps in oxygenating the body nicely and keeps in alkaline mode. Because of the alkaline state, we seldom catch diseases. Personally, I have not visited the doctor for the past six years.

Your turn: Deep breathing technique is a very subtle technique and please do not take it for granted. Most of us do not have patient to do the exercise regularly for  at least for a month. Hence, they lose the immense benefits of this technique. Please look for the two parameters if you plan to practice deep breathing.

a)      Initially, start to do the practice consciously and with regular practice, this breathing pattern becomes your second nature. It becomes your habit and you start to breathe with the changed pattern subconsciously. So, keep an eye of this change.

b)      Look for the duration of inhale and exhale and consciously, try to keep the exhalation longer. This has the ability to relax your body and the mind.

Let me write in my next blog on ‘’fire of breath’’ and bellow breathing techniques.