A musician friend of mine, LeRoy White, is one of the great lights of joy in this world. Using sampled synthesized music and incredible percussion, LeRoy creates infectiously joyful music that gets his audience up, moving and singing. One of my favorite songs of his is “Breathe and Smile”. The words tell us that therein lies the secret to an enlightened life. I think he is really on to something.
Humans breathe approximately 20,000 times per day. How many breaths are we aware of? Almost all of the enlightenment traditions begin their practice with mindful breathing.
There are numerous breathing exercises that can create a myriad of results; from relaxation to shifts in consciousness. Yet, most of us rarely are even aware of our breathing unless we find ourselves short of breath from some unaccustomed exertion or stress.
Often stress will cause one to hold their breath. Many of us breathe with only the upper portion of our lungs when under stress. This form of breathing called “High Breathing” or “Clavicular Breathing” is the least desirable form of breathing as it uses the upper lobes of the lungs which have only a small air capacity. It is marked by a fairly rigid ribcage and little expansion of the ribs. High breathing involves raising the shoulders, collar bones and ribs while the abdomen is held rigid or restrained by tight clothing or a tight belt around the midsection of the body.
Low breathing refers to breathing primarily in the lower part of the chest and lungs. Often used when we are sleeping, low breathing involves moving the abdomen in and out and the diaphragm lifting and lowering. It is often called “Diaphragmic Breathing” or “Abdominal Breathing”. To accomplish low breathing, gently press your abdomen out with each inhalation and allow it to return to its normal position when exhaling.
Middle breathing exhibits some characteristics of both low and high breathing. As in high breathing, the ribs rise and the chest expands somewhat, while the abdomen moves in and out a little bit and the diaphragm rises and falls a bit. Also called “Rib Breathing” or Thoracic Breathing, middle breathing expands the ribs and chest sideways. It is better than high breathing, but far inferior to low breathing.
Low breathing is the superior form of breathing for four reasons:
- more air is taken in with each inhalation
- the movement of the diaphragm expands the lower part of the lungs bringing in more venous blood to be oxygenated and improving circulation in general.
- the internal organs are gently massaged by the up and down movement of the diaphragm
- the solar plexus, an important nerve center, is benefited by the movement of the diaphragm.
Following posts will give step by step guidance for breathing exercises ranging from very simple exercises that are designed to be done in a minute or two, to longer meditational exercises.
If you would like more information about breathing exercises I suggest Dr Andrew Weil’s article at http://tinyurl.com/4r49bz.