Relearning to breathe functionally: three tips to promote healing
Breath. It’s something so basic we do it without thinking yet something so powerful when used intentionally.
As both a biological and spiritual practice, breath influences everything
within us — from our mental and physiological states to our connection with our inner selves.
Just think of how your breath feels when you’re stressed out as opposed to when you are
relaxed and happy. In fact, studies show that simply changing our breathing patterns has the
power to transform our health and mood. Taking ownership of how we breathe makes us
capable of influencing our wellbeing.
The key is in knowing how to make your breath your ally, how to harness its power to
optimize everything from organ function and digestion to athletic performance and weight.
While there’s a huge array of breathing techniques out there, there are a few fundamental
elements that can help you breathe more efficiently and effectively as you move through
your days.
As you learn to handle your breath, you will find it helps you reduce your anxiety, snap out of
fear response, support your immune system and so much more.
Three foundations of functional breathing
1. Breathe through your nose
Your nose is designed to help you maximize the use of oxygen and circulation of nutrients in
your body. It also helps filter, warm, and moisturize the air you breathe in, preparing it for
your lungs.
Nose breathing also releases nitric oxide into the airways and lungs, which plays a vital role
in regulating blood flow and increasing immunity and neurotransmission.
2. Breathe slow
Believe it or not, most of us breathe too much. This can make us low on carbon dioxide,
because when we breathe too rapidly, we exhale more carbon dioxide than we produce. But
CO2, in the right amounts, is actually our friend — it helps absorb oxygen in the body, one of
the essential ingredients for creating energy and reducing our reactivity to stress. Building
CO2 tolerance also helps reduce your reactivity to stress overtime.
Breathing slowly helps stimulate the vagus nerve which plays a major role in a range of
bodily functions, including digestion and cardiac function.
How slow should you breathe? Research shows that around 5.5 breaths per minute, with an
equal inhalation-to-exhalation ratio — so 5.5 seconds in, 5.5 seconds out — is ideal.
3. Breathe deep not big
We’ve probably all been told to take a deep breath at one point or another in our lives to
calm down (whether we appreciated it or not), and science backs this up. Breathing deeply
engages the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, expanding our lungs and pushing them
against our organs, effectively giving them a massage. It also increases our lung capacity,
maximizes oxygen supply, and supports our heart, as the diaphragm connects to the heart
via a membrane called the pericardium to help it beat with less strain. That’s how you can
influence your heartbeat with your breath.
What should a deep breath feel like? A deep breath starts at the very bottom of your belly,
rises into your ribcage, and finally gently expands into your chest. The goal is to breathe
without tension.
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As you train yourself to breathe functionally, remember it’s not about being perfect, but
rather, becoming conscious. If you catch yourself breathing shallowly or through your mouth,
simply take note without judgement and adjust. Be gentle with yourself, and remember that
every breath is a chance to start anew.