Most of the time we breathe without thinking about it. Breathing properly and consciously taking a deep breath can be healing for the body and mind.
Our breathing is a marvel that works on its own. But as the only autonomous basic function of the body, it can also be controlled at will. And it is good for our own well-being if we stop the wrong breathing, which may have crept in from childhood. Many people unconsciously train themselves to breathe superficially as a result of stress, sitting incorrectly, or frequently wearing high heels.
Proper breathing needs to be (re)learned
If you always breathe incorrectly, i.e. too shallowly, due to stress, you can often feel weak and tired. Sometimes complaints follow, such as a constant feeling of repugnance in the chest. Our own body awareness also suffers and we cannot clearly perceive our emotions if we breathe incorrectly.
Proper breathing sets things in motion on a physical and emotional level, says breathing trainer Karoline Grün: blood pressure, pulse, and muscle tone can be reduced. In addition, correct breathing relaxes and alleviates stress symptoms, anxiety, or sleep disorders. We also allow our feelings more or can process them better if we stop breathing incorrectly. The good news: You can learn to breathe properly.
3 Tips To Breathe Properly
1. Practice full of abdominal breathing
Chest out, stomach in: Both full breathing and abdominal breathing are very effective forms of breathing that ventilate the lungs well and give the diaphragm enough freedom of movement. For a full breath, breathe in first through your nose into your stomach, then toward your flanks, and finally into your upper chest. Then exhale through your nose or mouth. In abdominal breathing, you omit to breathe into your flanks.
You can check from the outside whether you are doing it right. The respective part of the body should expand visibly when inhaling. However, full and abdominal breathing is not always possible, for example in some sports. Here it remains with the less deep chest breathing. That's right for these situations, but in the long run, it would be too superficial. Because then you could never experience the regenerative power of conscious, deep breathing.
2. Fewer breaths per minute
The following applies to the breathing rate: the fewer breaths per minute, the deeper and more relaxing the breathing. Even if you breathe out longer than you breathe in, you stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system - the part of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for relaxation. This makes sense, for example, before falling asleep. For everyday life, breathing with about the same length of inhalation and exhalation as deep as possible is best.
There is also no need for an extra break between inhaling and exhaling - unless you want to promote relaxation with your breathing technique. For this reason, breathing pauses are an important part of traditional Far Eastern meditation techniques: the longer the pause, i.e. the "nothing", the calmer the mind should become.
3. Practice breathing properly on a regular basis
If incorrect breathing has already become very established, it can take some time before you have learned and internalized correct breathing. Because some respiratory blockages build up over decades. Therefore, regular practice is important. The better the correct breathing is consciously trained and anchored, the more likely it is to be maintained.
Sounds like another appointment commitment? It doesn't have to be. Because you can also practice in between, be it during a mini-break at your desk or in the queue when shopping. "It would be ideal if breathing exercises became as natural as brushing your teeth every day," says the breathing coach. Incidentally, techniques such as autogenic training or yoga are not part of breathing training, but rather relaxation and awareness techniques whose main focus is not on breathing.
Where can you learn to breathe properly?
Basically, you can try out the right breathing technique yourself. Instructions in books, YouTube videos, or online courses support this. Nevertheless, the initial support by a trained person makes sense. Because there those who are interested learn under precise guidance and observation - and specific warm-up exercises, breathing in several positions and different breathing rhythms are taught. With these exercises for correct breathing, we can then relax at home or gain new energy.
Here you can find a video that explains the right breathing techniques: