DIAPHRAGMatic Breathing

 Shallow breathing is linked to increases in anxiety and elevated heart rate.  This can quickly cause a panic attack to individuals who are over-sensitive to their breathing rate.  Individuals who practice deepening their breath into the lower part of the lungs often reduce the stress hormones, increase oxygen to the brain, and overall improve their mental health.  By slowing the out-breath the heart rate decreases and a sense of relaxation can begin.  Connect calming thoughts and a person can improve their mental functioning and resilience to stressful situations.  Check out this article for some additional scientific details.  

Over time shallow breathing can lead to weakened lungs and diaphragm–the major muscle that contracts and pulls the air into your lungs.  A lifetime of shallow breathing can result in a very weak breath which increases the risk of dying from pneumonia.  This is one of the major causes of death in older individuals who have multiple chronic health conditions they are managing.  This doesn't sound like fun so let's make it a habit to breathe deeply and strengthen your diaphragm.  Bonus points: it also helps improve your posture. 

How To Do Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing 

​Doing deep breathing starts in your posture.  In order for your lungs to have enough room to expand you need to lift your sternum up, pull your shoulders back and make room for your diaphragm to expand down into your belly.  Then slowly allow your ribs to expand outward.  You can place your hand on the side of your ribs and feel the movement pushing outwards to help open and focus the mind on the expanding movements.  Allow the air to fill the entire chest cavity, and then maybe just a little more.  The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that when it contracts, it flattens downwards.  This pushes the stomach out in front.  As this happens the lungs fill with air.  The lungs’ capacity is rarely reached in normal breathing, but when we focus we can get the oxygen rich air deep into the lower parts of the lungs where we have more surface area for the oxygen to pass into the bloodstream.  This also allows for more carbon dioxide to be released from the body.  

Focus on deepening the air into the lower parts of the lungs and slowing down your exhale.  The process of slowing down your out-breath allows more time for the oxygen to exchange place with the carbon dioxide.  This makes the breath more efficient.  This also begins to slow the heart-rate down and can decrease blood pressure.  All of these small signals reach the brain and begin to downshift the release of stress chemicals that are being released, allowing the body to calm down.  With practice, and by tuning into the body during the breathing process, a person can reverse anxiety symptoms such as tension in the neck, shoulders, abdomen, and can slow down overthinking and overwhelming emotions.

---