Saturday, April 2, 2011

B - is for Breathe - Breathe In, Breathe Out

Ever thought about breathing?  Have you ever taken note of HOW you breathe?  I know I never did until I took my first yoga class.  Now, when I was in labor, I tried to breathe as our birthing coach had taught me, but after 16 hours and no results/baby, it was more screaming then breathing.  LOL! 

Through yoga, I learned that most of us do not breathe properly.  Imagine that!  We do it all day, everyday and most of us have been doing it wrong our ENTIRE lives!  So how does one breathe properly you may ask.  Well, Sugar Magnolia is here to tell ya.

Proper breathing involves filling the lungs completely from the top...all the way down to the very bottom.  You should feel your rib cage expand and contract with each inhalation and each exhalation.  If you haven't been breathing properly, and you begin to do it, you will notice that your ribs will actually be sore for a few days, just as the rest of your body is after a tough workout.  It is a good idea to always breathe in through the nose because the nose has those ugly little hairs in it that filter germs before the air enters your lungs.  Breathing in through the mouth is not a good idea unless you have stuffy nose and that's the only way you can breathe.

When you breathe deeply, and properly, you are filling your lungs with oxygen.  The more oxygen you bring in, the more oxygen floods your bloodstream, the more energy you have, the better you feel.  So if you would like to feel better and have more energy it may be as simple as breathe in...breathe out...deeply.

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