The Living Breath

It happens to most runners - that dreaded heart rate spike during what was supposed to be a long, slow effort. You've reigned in your speed, you've kept hydrated and cool, you've even switched your running tunes from raucous Van Halen to relaxing Mozart, just to keep that adrenaline rush at bay. But now your heart rate is racing and you've strayed outside your recommended heart rate"zones" for your training session.

So what went wrong?

While running can do wonders for the cardiovascular system, it can also cause involved muscle groups to dramatically tighten. And this often includes vital inspiratory and expiratory muscles surrounding the ribcage, as well as the upper back, shoulders, and neck. So while a tight or non-relaxed running posture might result in a trip to your massage therapist for a post-run rubdown, it will also invariably result in short and shallow breathing. To compound the problem, most runners have not been taught how to properly breathe in any activity, including running. In such a scenario, this "tight torso/shallow breathing" causes limited air intake and results in less oxygen availability for working muscles, which means the heart has to pump more of your subpar-oxgyenated blood at a faster rate in order for you to maintain your seemingly relaxed pace.

Our breath is quite literally our life force. Oxygen feeds every part of the body. Breathing deeply and slowly will relax you, while instantly sending powerful doses of oxygen to the brain and every single cell of the body.

One of the main reasons people find smoking relaxing is that they are taking slow deep breaths. It's powerful enough to calm the system even while inhaling poisons. What would happen if it was done without the cigarette? It's an interesting fact that the word "conspiracy" comes from a Latin word meaning two or more breathing in unison. Carbon dioxide robs the body of oxygen. Carbon dioxide is poisonous to our body in high amounts and that's exactly why we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Breathing influences every organ in the body and balances the brain hemisphere. This is a profoundly important lesson: learn to breathe effectively. Many people report that they'd like to be able to have the ability to relax. How much value would it be if you could relax at will? Being in a relaxed state has it's side effects, you tend to be able to concentrate more, and retain information more easily. Could this be of use to you? My guess is probably yes. Breathing deeply and evenly through both nostrils helps to synchronize both sides of the brain. The right nostril tends to stimulate the left side of the brain and the left stimulates the right side of the brain. Research has proven that the brain swaps the dominate nostril we breathe through every 90 minutes.

Practicing breath controlling exercises regularly will alleviate some of your stress. Then you will see improvements in clarity and production when you do set your mind to work. Less stressed and more productive you ask?
If you can slow your thoughts down by slowing your breathing down ~ you give your brain a rest. When you go back to work you feel rested and alert. When you are stressed, your muscles tense, so you naturally tense up your breathing. Breathe in a practiced manner to control the tension, then your body can relax and hopefully when you return to unconscious breathing your breaths will be fuller. It's easy to see why stress can cause headaches, back-aches, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, fatigue and many other symptoms.
In a stressful situation your body sends out a chemical called 'cortisol'. Cortisol gives you an adrenaline rush so that you can escape from a fight or flight situation. Have you heard of people lifting something extremely heavy because a loved one is stuck under it - like a car? That is the effect of cortisol. But if you have a lot of stress in your life your body sends out too much cortisol too often and this can lead to health problems that can include heart disease and high blood pressure. Breathing exercises can alleviate some of your stress.

The purpose of breathing exercises is to enable you to bring awareness to your breathing. When you are aware of your breathing you can use it to maximum effectiveness. The change from unconscious to conscious breathing is accomplished by thinking about your breathing and becoming aware of your own body. Most of our behavior is unconscious. We walk around in our bodies, rarely noticing how they feel unless there is pain. Seldom do we consciously think of the body as feeling good. Feeling good shouldn't be an absence of pain. It should be an invigorated, energetic state where you are comfortable and happy in your body. Becoming aware of your breath is a way to reach that feeling. Expanding your breathing ability is a way of extending that feeling. Try to become more aware of your breathing during training and at other times. Take deeper breaths. Do regular Abdominal Breathing. If you feel yourself getting tense or angry, do some Attention Breathing and notice how your feelings change. If you are bored or sleepy, do some Nose Panting to reenergize yourself. No matter what you are doing, breathe. Make conscious dynamic breathing a regular part of your life and you will find it naturally benefits your martial arts training.


Thank You For Reading ............