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Nurture your Thoughts, Emotions, Actions

do you over-breathe?

29/4/2020

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How to tell if you’re over-breathing...
​⭐ Do you sometimes breathe through your mouth during daily activities?

⭐ Do you breathe through your mouth during sleep? (If you are unsure, do you wake with a dry mouth in the morning?)
⭐ Do you snore or hold your breath during sleep?
⭐ Can you visibly notice your breathing at rest? The more movement you see, the heavier the breath.
⭐ When you observe your breathing, do you see more movements from the chest than the abdomen?
⭐ Do you regularly yawn or sigh throughout the day?
⭐ Do you sometimes hear your breathing at rest?
⭐ Do you experience symptoms of over-breathing such as nasal congestion, tightening of the airways, fatigue, dizziness, or light-headedness, neck and shoulder pain?

These are all signs of over-breathing (hyperventilation). It is a myth that breathing more increases oxygen in the body. When we increase our breathing rate and volume, carbon dioxide within the body begins to drop. When this happens it reduces the bodies ability to transfer oxygen into the cells. Even if you take bigger and deeper breaths, the end result is the same. The body becomes deprived of oxygen.

The goal is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide lost with breathing, which then increases oxygen availability to the cells. On some level ancient yogis knew this. This is why slooooow, quiet, rhythmic, nasal and diaphragmatic breathing is recommended. 
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The problem with taking BIG breaths:

27/4/2020

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As mentioned in our previous post, 'take a deep breath' is often misinterpreted to mean BIG breathing. Deep breathing is not the same as BIG breathing.
BIG breathing is taking in bigger than necessary breaths. Controlled and deliberate deep breathing is different.
Here's why we want to avoid BIG breathing...
Big breathing leads to over-breathing, which can mess with the delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange taking place inside every cell of your body.
Over breathing can cause you to release too much carbon dioxide which impairs blood flow to the brain.
This image shows what happens to your brain after just 1-2 minutes of over breathing. Notice the substantial drop in oxygen.
Breathing exercises that focus on SLOW, quiet, rhythmic, nasal and diaphragmatic breathing are key to restoring calm.
Follow our page to learn more as we post about optimal breathing - in bite sized chunks.

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take a deep breath!?

26/4/2020

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'What's the first thing you hear when someone is trying to help you to relax? 'Take a deep breath'... Right? And that probably made you think 'big breath'. That's not what the vedic (ancient yogic) texts talk about, and it's not consistent with what we know about physiology now.
Ancient yoga teachings counsel us to make the breath subtle and still, in order to restore pranic balance.
Deep breathing is not the same as big breathing. Something seems to have been lost in translation when people think of them as the same.
Follow our newly created Instagram account to learn more as we post about optimal breathing - in 'bite sized chunks'.
www.instagram.com/yogawithdanika/
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Deep Abdominal Breathing

26/4/2015

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Have you ever seen a baby breathe? With each breath its little belly moves, not the chest. That’s our natural breathing method.  If you’re a chest breather, you’re taking shorter, faster breaths. By getting the air in the deeper part of the lungs, you’ll get 10x more air with each breath. This will be a slower, longer breath—but a normal sized breath.

Follow along with the questions below to retrain the breath and get the benefits of deep abdominal breathing.

Question 1: Am I a Chest Breather or a Belly Breather?
To check whether you are breathing shallowly or more deeply, do the following:

1. Sit in a chair, with an erect but comfortable posture.
2. Place one palm on your chest and the other palm on your stomach (below the rib cage and above the navel).
3. Take some normal breaths. Which hand or hands move? If you’re not sure, look in the mirror.
4. If the top or both hands are moving, then you’re a chest breather. If the bottom hand moves, you’re getting a fuller breath. In either case, follow along to get the most out of your belly breathing.

Question 2: How Can I Retrain Myself to Belly Breathe?

You are going to learn a movement that gently stretches muscles that run between the ribs—naturally hinging the ribs open so you can get a more full breath.

1. Reach behind your chair with your arms and bring your hands together.
2. Relax the abdominal muscles so your stomach can move outward as your lungs press on the stomach cavity.
3. Notice if there’s more movement in the belly. It’s that easy.
4. If you didn’t notice any belly breathing, try this posture: raise your arms above your head and clasp your hands behind your neck. This opens the chest area and makes taking a deeper breath easier.

Question 3: How Should I Practice or Use Belly Breathing?

1. Try practicing for 10 deep breaths, three times a day to start.
2. You can notice when you feel tense or stressed, and do 10 deep breaths right then.
3. Pay attention to your posture, especially if you’re sitting at a computer.
4. Practice while standing or lying down.
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Breathe

3/4/2015

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The breath is the bridge between mind and body. Regulating the breath conciously helps to reduce the intensity of thoughts and is one of the best techniques for cleansing the mind. Lengthening the breath, especially the exhalation, regulates the heart rate and soothes the nervous system. So take a moment now to breathe in deeply and exhale slooooowly and completely.
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