4 Amazing Health Benefits Of Deep Breathing

Would you like to know the number one thing that is never related to weight loss, and yet is super important?

Today, I am going to talk about one of the fundamental sources of energy – breathing. It is through breathing that our body takes in the life-giving oxygen and releases the toxic carbon dioxide.

An average individual takes about 12-20 breaths per minute while at rest. Exercise, stress, walking, working hastily, talking, thinking – all increase the number of breaths per minute. So we are looking at around 30,000 breaths in a day. That’s a massive amount of involuntary activity that can actually be made semi-voluntary by a little practice.

At any given moment (while you are awake), you are always thinking of something. Your body might be stationary but your mind is forever active.

What should I eat for breakfast, have the kids done their homework, will that dress fit me, I forgot to reply to that email, hope the meeting goes well, why is there so much traffic, why can’t my cab come on time, etc. When does it get to pause? Does it need to pause?

Of course, it does need to pause! Imagine how fatigued your body would be if it doesn’t rest for a single minute during the 12-14 hours that you are awake, day after day, month after month, years at a stretch.

Your mind is being subjected to the same fatigue unless you consciously take a pause. And how do we consciously take a pause? By practising deep breathing!

Breathe in and breathe out. Concentrate on your breath. Make it deeper. Be in the present and only focus on the breath.

The stress that we are holding is one of the biggest contributors to weight gain and deep breathing can help alleviate stress.

If I ask you to stop thinking, you won’t. Not because you don’t want to, but because you don’t know how to stop thinking. This is where deep breathing comes to your rescue.

When you concentrate on your breathing, you don’t have to try to fight your thoughts and try to keep your mind calm. Let the thoughts come and they will go away just as quickly because your mind is concentrating on the movement of breath.

Make this involuntary movement a voluntary movement. Make the breaths deeper and deeper. Open your lungs and stretch out your arms if necessary.

Your stomach should expand with every inhale. And shrink back with every exhale. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. It’s very important to take the full benefit of each breath. So, practice diaphragmatic breathing.

* Deep breathing allows more fresh oxygen in the blood flow and also eases the pressure on your heart that keeps pumping and purifying the blood.

* The deeper you breathe, the more alkalizing is the effect on our body. When you take shallow breaths you end up keeping some carbon dioxide inside the system that has an acidic effect. Taking one deep breath before each bite you eat will help immensely in improving your gut health.

* Deep breathing is also a natural pain reliever as it triggers the release of endorphins that help in combating pain and in feeling good.

* Also, do you know how fat actually leaves your body? Fat molecules are broken down into carbon dioxide and water. So fat is actually removed through the air you breathe out! And through the water, you discharge via urine and sweat.