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Breathing
Techniques
By Charles Sebastian
Fascinating, that so many of us go
through our (hopefully) four score
years and ten without a great deal of
thought about the essentials that govern us every day. The third of our day
spent in bed; food intake; the quality
of air we breathe and how we breathe
it; the years make us forget.
With the pressures of life come
inevitable anxieties, which can prove
to be too much over the long haul.
Breathing can help this, through
numerous techniques. Breathing techniques have long been used for relaxation, meditation, and empowerment
of the body. Breathing is, of course,
connected to our heart rate, which can
be slowed or quickened through deeper or more shallow breaths. Finding a
quiet place for five minutes a few times
a day and breathing a bit deeper than
usual and holding each breath to a
count of five can slow down the mind
and body. This promotes well-being
and literally gives one “pause.”
In many Tai Chi Chuan and yoga
practices, one finds a specialized
form of breathing, involving placing the tongue lightly on the roof of
the mouth and breathing in and out
through the nose. This “warms” the
breath through the nasal cavity and
allows a continuous circuit of energy
during breathing. While many may not
have the time or inclination to partake
in these practices, this simple form of
breathing is calming and brings one
back into balance. Furthermore, it can
be done in just a few minutes during a
work break.
When living with stress for years,
a body can become accustomed to it,
and shallow breathing seems natural to
us. One has only to look at a newborn
to see that full, uninh