Despite all our collective wealth and resources, modern life can be stressful sometimes. We might have more stuff, but there’s also more to worry about. Will the car break down? Will house prices crash? Will my partner leave me for somebody else?
In times like these, it is a good idea to regularly return ourselves to the basics. And that means looking after our nervous system. If we allow every tiny thing in the environment to disturb us, we will walk around in a constant state of anxiety.
Why Deep Breathing Anyway?
That’s where deep breathing can really help. The ancient yogis used it regularly to regulate their mood and give them a sense of peace.
The reason it works has to do with the parasympathetic nervous system. These are essentially a bunch of nerve cells and hormones that calm the body down. They are what kicks in after you get a shock or a fright. Once things are safe, they return the body’s chemistry to normality.
The problem is that most people are living in a state of heightened fear and dread most of the time. They never actually shut down their flight or fight response and so they carry tension with them wherever they go. Some people even get used to it because it is there all the time. Many times, they just assume that “that’s life” and get on with it, without realising that there’s another way.
When you breathe deeply for a few minutes, you remind your body that it can be present. You just concentrate on the breath, and everything else seems to sort itself out. You’re not thinking about the dentist appointment you have tomorrow or what your boss might say at your annual review. Instead, you just live in the present, enjoying the sensation of air going in and out of your mouth, like the wind.
Deep Breathing Challenges
Deep breathing challenges are just a plan for you to implement deep breathing in your life.
If you’re starting out, it’s a good idea to follow instructions online. There are plenty of free videos and coaches willing to share their expertise with you.
It sounds weird to say that “deep breathing” is the solution to all your problems. After all, you’re probably breathing right now. If you weren’t, you’d be dead.
But you’d be surprised just how big a difference that conscious, intentional breathing can make. It changes the cadence of air in and out of your nose. And that fundamentally alters how you feel.
Some deep breathing challenges are daily. In other words, you get up early and spend 20 minutes focusing on your breath before proceeding with the rest of your day. But you don’t have to stick with a strict schedule. People sometimes like to use the technique whenever they feel tension or agitation rising in their bodies. Others like to combine deep breathing with soothing herbs or tinctures from brands like Simply CBD. You can also use deep breathing in combination with massage or sauna.
How Deep Breathing Changes Your Body’s Chemistry
Ultimately, deep breathing has a massive effect on how your body works. And that fundamentally changes how you feel. Suddenly, you get this wave of relaxation that feels like it is healing you from the inside out.
Here’s some of the benefits:
- Deeper meditations that last longer
- Improved ability to live in a state of thoughtlessness
- Improvements in the natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to more restful slumber
- Increase in blood oxygenation levels
- Reduction in the acidity of the body, reducing the likelihood of gout and cancer
- Boost in physical performance and exercise – great for people who do sports
- Reduction in muscle soreness after intense training at the gym
- Improvements in your ability to concentrate on things at work
- Come to full energy levels rapidly after sleep
Many of the top wellness professionals in the world use deep breathing as part of their strategy. They know that if they activate the nervous system in a certain way, they can produce massively beneficial results. They feel better and more relaxed. And they can even slow the aging process itself. The more your body wants to be here, the better it will function, and the less damage it will experience. Ultimately, that helps to postpone disease and death, keeping you looking and feeling young for longer.
So that’s essentially the reason why deep breathing challenges are taking over the world. Everyone can breathe, so they’re incredibly accessible. And they deal with a big problem we have as a civilisation right now: anxiety.
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