Importance of breathing

Generally we take breathing for granted, after all we’ve been doing it since the moment we were born.

But what happens when the doctor or nurse tells you to “breathe normally”?! I bet you focus on breathing in and out trying to keep it as normal as possible, but making it feel abnormal!

What if you focused on your breath in order to feel less stressed and anxious?

You can do the following breathing exercises whilst standing, sitting or lying. The important thing is to find somewhere quiet with no distractions.
- Breathe in steadily through the nose. Try counting, in your mind, to 3 or 4 slowly. Imagine the air getting deep down in your lungs, and expanding your lungs right into your back ribs.
-  Breathe out steadily through pursed lips, again to a count to 3-4.
-  Repeat for 3-5 minutes daily

Initially you may find it difficult to breathe in and out to counts of 3 or 4, and that’s fine, but doing this regularly you will notice an improvement.

Focusing on your breathing helps to get important oxygen into your body, carbon dioxide and toxins out, as well as relaxing your muscles, improving sleep, reducing stress, and reducing headaches.
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So don’t underestimate how important breathing is!