How-To Guides

Have A Lungful of Life - How to Breathe Right

By Saikat ⋅ August 26, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

“Breathing control gives man strength, vitality, inspiration, and magic powers.”
-   Chuang Tzu

Have you ever looked at a diagrammatic cross-section of a lung?

I bet you have wondered that it looks like an upside down leafless ‘autumn’ tree. Well, that’s how our respiratory system is. From the nasal cavity, the air travels down the trachea (the breathing tube) which resembles the trunk of a tree. It bifurcates into two branches seemingly like the limbs of a tree - the bronchial tubes. These branches then continue to divide and ‘branch out’ into multiple little channels called the bronchi. At the end of these are the tiny air sacs called the alveoli. From here oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide is given out. The lungs themselves are contained within an infrastructure called the diaphragm. This musculature not only supports the lungs but also controls the in and out movements of the diaphragm.

In the diaphragm thus lies the secret of our correct breathing.

Breathing is an involuntary activity. When at rest they hold about 2.5 liters of air. Above that they can fill in another 2.5 liters. We just take in 500 ml (½ liter) in each breath normally. No wonder, the lungs at best look like deflated balloons. If we breathe out and then breathe in with deliberate effort we can take in a lot more air. We can easily exhale 1 liter and effortlessly take in a liter more with the usual 500ml. This adds up to 1½ liters with each breathe. We can train ourselves to do this in a sustained manner.

How to breathe right - Shallow breathers take heed.

Shallow breathers use the throats for breathing and not the pit of the abdomen as it should be. Here are 2 simple steps to learn how to breathe right.

1. Lying flat on the floor, place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Slowly, take a deep breath for about 5 seconds.
2. Imagine the lungs inflating up with air like a balloon. As you take in air, the belly will expand. Your chest will also widen and rise slightly as you inhale. Now gradually breathe out fully.

Taking in a lungful is as simple as that, isn’t it!

Breathe right for wellness.

• For all geeks like us, breathing right helps to reduce stress. Slow and conscious deep breathing is the quickie of meditation. It brings calmness to the mind and helps the mind to focus better.

• Oxygen surplus in the body reduces fatigue and increases alertness.

• Improves the lymphatic system, the sewerage system of our body. The lymphatic system then does a better job of removing toxins from our body.

• Nitric oxide, a very important blood vessel dilator gets transported to the lungs in increased amounts and makes them function better for oxygen exchange.

If all the benefits don’t sound appealing enough, just put this in a thought - with every breath we take we breathe the old out and the new in.

Image: Flickr.com

Tags: breathing, health, tips, wellness