The collective understanding we have of the health-and-wealth world has come so far in the last few decades. The paradox is that we have simultaneously taken two giant steps back. A reality where every fitness guru has an opinion and extensive knowledge of protein, lives alongside a society that has forgotten the importance of breathing.
When the value of a commodity lives solely in the soulless tax return of corporations, anything devoid of profit becomes unworthy of our attention. Where profit goes our attention flows. Fortunately, unlike the programming of our sedate lifestyles, life is a little more kind. The most important things in life are given in gratis. Sunshine, water, and most importantly oxygen. This powerhouse molecule, the numero uno needed by the body and we are bathing in it. Unfortunately its abundance has created a void of understanding and denatured its importance.
This molecule is the gatekeeper to life and holds one of the keys to human optimisation. How well you breathe can affect everything from memory and mood, to how your face looks. There are pills we will swallow and Instagram filters we can apply for these repercussions, but those solutions lead down a rabbit hole. A hole where a dead demented narrow jawed rabbit lies.
“I am Jack’s medulla oblongata, without me Jack could not regulate his heart rate, blood pressure or breathing”
Edward norton Fight club 1999
The fatal consequences of not breathing means we have both unconscious and conscious control of this process. The unconscious relies on the medulla oblongata and its two boy scouts, the accelerator and vagus nerve. These two nervy characters serve the same master but have very opposing views on breathing. Vagus wants you to chill, it wants you to rest, to digest, listen to Mozart and find blissful solutions. You are in no panic, your heart rate decreases, blood pressure drops, creative and rational thoughts play happy families in the mind. We are zen.
Your accelerator nerve isn’t so calm, it’s itching to turn on your fight or flight responses. Increasing heart rate, blood pressure and blowing out the candle on happy thoughts. Animal instincts are primed and ready to go.
This state of being brings you closer to your primitive self. The self that is faster, stronger, more aggressive but also the self that is irrational, unfocused and drowning in stress.
Zen and beast mode have a time and place, we need both phases to keep optimal. However zen should be our primary state. The state we flow in, play in, and ultimately live in. Beast mode is there to sharpen the tools, it’s a moment in your day to fire up the engine, but live in this state of mind at your peril. Remember the dead demented rabbit.
The mind continually uses feedback from the body to determine which state to gravitate towards. Of the many sensors and mechanisms the mind utilises, your breath is the most powerful. The oxygen we breathe in and the carbon dioxide(CO2) we breathe out influences the decisions the medulla oblongata makes. The relationship between CO2 and oxygen saturation is a balanced one. To keep your inner Buddha happy, your breath in and out are of equal importance . The respiration process should be seen as a Waltz involving oxygen and it’s dance partner CO2. A smooth dance that travels around the body . Characterized by its “rise and fall” action, in which dancers must strive to lengthen each step or in this case breath.
Improving your conscious breath work is entirely free (a lot of added value but no VAT), can be done at any point during your waking day and the benefits can be life changing. The reason there is no VAT is because it’s pretty dull. Who will care? Not your followers on social media, the bar staff at your favourite pub, not even your mom will be that bothered. Which is also why the practice of breathing is so beautiful. No applause, just knowing through conscious practice you open up a world of unconscious benefits. Studies have shown a greater capability in regards to problem solving, concentration and memory as a result of better breathing. Sleep quality increases, recovery enhances, tension eases in the upper areas of the body and your posture improves. The cumulative return on investment will last a lifetime.
My breathing practice is curious, and consistent. I’m learning, observing and growing as I go. Absorbing the knowledge and information that sits well with me and my lifestyle, my practice has enriched my physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Being in control of how you breathe for a moment of your day will help re-tune your unconscious patterns. Suddenly you will catch yourself thoughtlessly breathing through your nose, into your abdominals and taking longer exhalations. But this does not happen overnight.
Start thinking about your breath, wondering about your health, and how something as simple as improving your breathing can create a better version of yourself. Hopefully you have ditched this blog paragraphs ago and started doing some research of your own. If not, here are some “fun” facts and an easy breathing practice for you to play with.
Fun Facts
- nasal breathing humidifies the air and allows for better absorption
- nasal breathing increases nitric oxide, which allows for better delivery of oxygen
- nasal breathing filters the air before reaching your lungs, which can reduce infections
- nasal breathing increases parasympathetic (happy Buddha) mechanisms, improving sleep and recovery, reducing anxiety
- nasal breathing can impact the structure of your face, especially in our formative years
- better breathing can improve blood pH levels, a blog for another day
- breathing has a direct bearing on which fuel supply the body uses, fat, protein or carbs. Can you breathe yourself skinny? Answers on a postcard
Hopefully you get the picture, or at least picked up some food for thought. Find a breathing practice and apply some patience.
An Easy Practice
tongue at the roof of the mouth, tip behind the teeth
inhale into the belly using abdominals
push breath down, not belly out
bring breath into the chest, expanding rib-cage front&back
Pause, take a moment
Slowly exhale, maybe you hum, maybe you don’t
Pause, take a moment
Repeat.
BeMore 