Courtesy of Hope Zvara, CEO of Mother Trucker Yoga and yoga, movement and lifestyle expert:
Remember to breathe!
In anything that you do, breathing is essential. The average person breathes 21,000 to 24,000 times per day. Imagine what merely tuning into your breath could do for stress, anxiety, fatigue and yes, reducing physical pain.
Shallow breathing can be linked to fatigue, dizziness and anxiety. It can also make using your physical body more challenging. Muscles need oxygen, and breathing makes that possible.
Next time you find yourself feeling stressed, fatigued, anxious or even bored, take three deep breaths. Our body cannot function without oxygen, and the best part is it’s absolutely free. Yes, breathing costs you nothing, but gives you life.
Here are three tips for better breathing:
- Sit tall. Don’t compress down on your diaphragm, it not only makes it difficult to breathe, but can actually cause anxiety.
- When you breathe in, your belly should go out (expand). Many people don’t realize that they are breathing incorrectly. Doing so can trigger stress, digestive discomfort and challenges while exercising.
- While exhaling, smooth and steady wins the race. Notice if your exhale is shorter than your inhale, or if your exhale feels like a released balloon. Forceful at first, and then fizzling out at the end. To create calm and promote relaxation, work to evenly exhale and make the exhale longer than the inhale.