The Importance of Breathing in Well-Being

There is much information on how to breathe properly, on why we don't, on why we should.  Over the years I've explored a number of techniques and found them all interesting, some more useful than others.  Thing is, I want a 'tool' that is simple, portable, easy and in Life, Travel Notes  (scroll down to contents – click on Breathing –  it's accessible and free) I give a three-breath exercise which provides such a tool. It serves me well if I need or want to take the time to relax and restores diaphragm breathing.

A few months back I got the notion that some sort of device that would remind me to breathe properly when I get slightly out of whack (like tending to revert to a shallow breath when excited or concentrating or in poor posture) would be beneficial.  I was thinking some sort of bio-feedback.  No luck coming up with something like this that was portable, simple etc.

But – and I find this interesting – my attempts to find something seemed to jump-start my body somehow and I found I was – well, monitoring my breath and when excited or concentrating or slouching – now do this: tongue against roof of mouth behind teeth, full breath gently into abdomen through nose,  then breathe out with mouth slightly  open, tongue relaxed, lips a bit pursed and making a sound of exhalation.  

At times one such breath is enough.  At other times I may do three or four before I go back to whatever I was  doing.  At still other times I find I go into the rhythm of counting silently to four on the in -breath and to eight on the out -breath.  This usually continues and the breath then, easily and almost without effort,  takes on a life of its own.  It may then become effortless and the experience of 'breathing the body' happens.  I came across this term in more than one of the books on breathing and I can't describe it better.  It's when letting- go occurs and the present is experienced.  You can't actually plan to let go;  you 'prime the pump', so to speak and then the letting-go happens.  Focus on breathing is a very good  'priming of pump'.