Have you ever thought about how you breathe? Maybe you’re conscious of how difficult it is to catch your breath after running to make a train or perhaps you feel your breath in tune with your quickening heartbeats before a big presentation. Either way, we don’t typically analyze how our diaphragm moves, when in actuality we should be focusing more on it.
From yoga to relaxation techniques, we often are told to mind our breath, but what is the best way? By “belly breathing”, a.k.a. “diaphragmatic breathing” or “deep breathing”. Fun fact: we were all belly breathers as infants, but somehow lost the art while growing up. By breathing air from our nose through to our abdomen, we’re able to be more cognizant of how our breath flows. Belly breathing is often prescribed for those who need to “take a breather” (ok, I admit – pun intended). And everyone can benefit from it.
That is why this blog is titled “Belly Breather”, as a reminder to breathe deep with intent. If you’re stressed or simply need to take a pause, and realize you’re expanding just your chest when you breathe, then you’re in need of some TLC. Take in the precious, cleansing air through your nostrils, hold and try to imagine pushing it through your chest into your belly. When you exhale, imagine expelling all negative thoughts from your belly, to your chest, and out through your nose – relaxing all your muscles. I sometimes find it helpful to visualize breathing in white or gold air and breathing out black. The more you practice, the more effortless it becomes.
The next time you feel the need to center yourself, try going back to your infant instincts and breathe, baby, breathe.
~ XOXO Kris
