Breath

Breathing is one of the most powerful things that you rarely consciously think about. How you breath can make a huge difference in many of your daily activities.

Take A Deep Breath

When was the last time you sat quietly and took a full, deep breath? If you can’t remember, do it now. Even if you can remember, do it now anyway. Most of us don’t do this nearly often enough. If you’ve never thought about how you breath, do the following:

Sit or stand up straight with your shoulders back. Inhale slowly through your nose, but not shallowly. Pull the air in from deep in your nostrils. Use your diaphragm, and fill your lungs completely. Hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale using your mouth. Do this several times, until your heart rate slows a bit.

You should feel more relaxed and focused than you did a moment ago. This is both excellent breathing, as well as a very simple form of meditation. If you sit down for even ten minutes a day and do only this, the benefits will be significant.

How you breath makes a great of deal of difference in how you do practically anything. It can make the simplest or most complex tasks significantly easier or harder. To give you an example from my own experience, take lifting. Whenever I’m stuck at a plateau, there are several things I analyze. First and foremost is form,but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. The next thing I invariably look at is my breathing patterns during the lift. We have a tendency to auto pilot certain aspects of things when we do them frequently, and exercise is no exception.

If my form isn’t the problem, chances are I let my breathing slip. In the case of heavy lifting, you always want to inhale prior to the lift, and exhale while lifting. Repeat for each rep. This might not sound like it will make a significant differences, but the numbers don’t lie.

You can apply this focus on breathing to practically anything, mental or physical. Try it out during anything you find stressful or difficult. The results will likely surprise you. It may take some research and practice to apply breathing techniques to your particular activity, but the benefits are well worth it.