You should think about breathing once in awhile…

Were you breathing when you first saw this post? More than likely the answer is yes! And so I guess the more reasonable question would be, were you aware of your breathing. Becoming aware of, and thinking about, and even being able to control your breathing, is a very interesting phenomenon. Your breathing is like your thinking in very important and meaningful ways. Your breathing continues to happen even when you are not aware of it; this is because your breathing is a part of your autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system that makes things happen automatically. Your thinking continues to happen, whether you are aware of it or not, as well; but the reason that your brain thinks without you being aware of it is still under investigation (in other words, no one really knows). But where it really gets interesting is that we can consciously intervene in both of these autonomic occurrences and override their automatic tendencies.

And so, just as you can become aware of your breathing, and control its processes, you can also become aware of your thinking, and control its processes (albeit to a very limited degree at first). And what is particularly useful for the development of greater mental, physical, and spiritual health, is the fact that, in order to maintain an awareness of, and/or control over the breath, you must at the same time control your thinking. This is the reason why, in every prominent application of meditation practice recorded throughout history, the use of breathing as a point of focus has been included, and in many cases relied upon, as the preeminent form of practice. To become aware of the breath is the consummate union of mind and body; and it is in this union of mind and body, that a spiritual awareness can so easily arise.

Up until just recently this mind body connection has been very esoteric and anecdotal in nature. But that has all changed. And thanks to preeminent figures from the realm of Buddhism, such as the Dalai Lama and Alan Wallace, making a concerted effort to meld the realms of meditation, spirituality, and science, great strides have already been made into a greater understanding of how this form of mental and spiritual growth functions at the biological level. In fact ground breaking research in the area of the new science of Neuroplasticity has involved the study of experienced meditation practitioners (most of the meditation practices in these studies have involved individuals, both Buddhist monks and lay practitioners, practicing a form of meditation called mindfulness).

Along with the potential spiritual benefits connected with breathing meditation, there have also been studies that have approached the practice of breath focused meditation from secular perspectives. Probably one of the most famous of these was the research of Herbert Benson on what he calls the Relaxation Response. Herbert describes the relaxation response as the opposite of the stress response that we are all too familiar with.

To illicit this response you choose a word, sound, prayer, or phrase, to repeat to yourself. You then sit quietly, in a comfortable position. After gently relaxing the muscles of the body, you become aware of your breathing; as you breathe out, say your chosen word, and repeat saying your word with each out breath. This is done for ten to twenty minutes. The response itself includes the following: Your metabolism decreases; Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax; Your breathing becomes slower; Your blood pressure decreases; Your levels of nitric oxide are increased.

So far we have looked at how focusing on your breathing can benefit you spiritually, and mentally/emotionally/physically; and most of what we have looked at has used breathing as a passive object of focus. Now let’s look at the actual process of physically breathing, and see how we can learn to do it better, and in ways that can make a dramatic difference to our health and well being.

One of the most fundamental aspects of proper breathing, that is taught in almost any training having to do with breathing, is what is called diaphragmatic, abdominal, or belly breathing. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle (when relaxed) that is located just below the lungs, with the top of its dome reaching up toward the middle of the ribcage. When taking a deep relaxed breath, the diaphragm contracts, flattening out, and pulling the lungs down with it, causing air to fill the lungs; and at the same time, compressing the organs in the abdominal cavity, causing the classical bulging abdominal area that is often associated with deep abdominal breathing. This kind of breathing benefits the body in several ways. Pulling the lungs down to fill the ribcage causes much more air to enter the lungs than the more constricted breathing that is called chest breathing. And at the same time, the compression in the abdominal cavity creates a gentle messaging effect to the organs and glands of the abdomen that illicit positive stimulation. And along with muscular contraction, it is our breathing that is responsible for the movement of lymph through our bodies.

Yoga is the science of attaining union with the Universal Spirit, and as such would technically be considered a spiritual pursuit; but just as its asana (or posture) practice (what most westerners call yoga) has been isolated in the west to become a very popular form of physical development, the yogic breathing techniques (called Pranayama) can also be used without the spiritual implications, and as such, form a body of knowledge and practice concerning proper breathing techniques that are unsurpassed, even by today’s western standards in this field of knowledge. In fact, when western scientist want to study the science of breathing, they often study yogis. You will find a series of yoga breathing exercises at the bottom of the page.

Below you will also find included, some resources for deep diaphragmatic breathing.

References:

Breathing Meditation:

Online  meditation breathing techniques and instruction
Meditation Techniques

Meditation Breathing Techniques
project-meditation.org

Neuroplasticity:

Scans of Monks’ Brains Show Meditation Alters Structure, Functioning
University of Wisconsin via The Wall Street Journal

How to build a bigger brain
UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging

Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness
National Institute of Health

Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources
Public Library of Science

Relaxation Response:

Relaxation Response
University of California – Human Resources and Benefits

Easy Ways to Take the Edge Off
An interview with Herbert Benson about the Relaxation Response – This is an ABC News video

YOU REALLY NEED TO RELAX: Effective Methods pdf
Dr. D. A. Williams and Dr. M. Carey; from his book: Relaxation – University of Michigan Health System

Breathing Technique:

Take a deep breath
Harvard Health Publications – Harvard Medical School: A quick read to help you to quickly understand what diaphragmatic breathing is all about.

3D view of diaphragm
3d-yoga.com via youtube

Diaphragmatic Breathing – Yoga Tutorials
Guhaswami via youtube: this is a simple demonstration that will very quickly give you a clear illustration of what diaphragmatic breathing looks like.

Using the half-breath diaphragmatic breathing for relaxation
Here is a nice guided deep breathing mp3 presented by Ithaca College

Relaxation Techniques: Diaphragmatic Breathing
Washington University in St. Louis: Along with a brief introduction to diaphragmatic breathing, this page also has some basic information about meditation and relaxation techniques.

Diaphragmatic Breathing
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati is a premier teacher on the Web of all aspects of yoga practice. Very serious study of the subject may be found here.

Lymphatic System
Cayuga Community College

Yoga

A Glimpse at Yoga
Portland Community College

Asanas: Yoga Postures
Yoga Basics

Yoga Breathing: Pranayama

Anmol Mehta is the best pranayama teacher that I have come across on the Web! Here are a series of breathing exercises, from the easiest/most gentle to the most vigorous:

Camling, Cooling Breath

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Deep Breathing

Kapalbhati Breathing

Breath of Fire

Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

Breathing Practices and Pranayama in Yoga
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati is a premier teacher on the Web of all aspects of yoga practice. Very serious study of the subject may be found here.