In case of an emergency, walk, don't run, to the nearest exit. Be honest, you wouldn't walk. Everything in you would scream, "run!". Most people live in the "run!" world. Everything is an emergency. The thing is though, there is no emergency. And yet most people live their lives in a state of emergency.
We are too stressed out. Our world of microwaves, instant clicks, deadlines, credit cards, and instant messages has taught us how to be high strung. Our society lives in a perpetual state of fight or flight. We all need to take a deep breath and relax. There is no emergency. At least, there isn't supposed to be.
Life is not supposed to be spent in a state of emergency, in a state of fight or flight. We are only supposed to be in fight or flight mode when we need to be. It is not supposed to be our standard operating mode. Right now, chances are, you are breathing using your accessory breathing muscles - your emergency muscles. Why? Are you in a state of panic? You shouldn't be.
I am going to teach you the most ridiculously easy reset you could ever do to help your body relax and restore your health and vitality: Diaphragmatic breathing - the way you are supposed to breath naturally.
Many, many people are walking around in a state of emergency because they breathe using their emergency breathing muscles. They are stressed, anxious, irritable, easily fatigued, their stress hormones are out of balance and they have digestive problems. All of these issues could easily be solved by just relaxing, and breathing the way we were made to breathe - with our diaphragm.
Are you overweight? Are you a chest breather? Are you always tired? Are you a chest breather? Are you always nervous and you don't know why? Are you a chest breather? Do you get completely wiped out 2 minutes into a run, or your exercise routine? Are you a chest breather? Is your posture a mess? Does your head enter the room before your body does? Are you a chest breather?
Becoming a belly breather - being a diaphragmatic breather - the way you were designed to breathe, can reset and restore your entire body. You can literally restore your strength, your health, and your body by learning how to become a diaphragmatic breather. This simple "exercise", this simple "reflex", is a key component to living life the way you were intended.
Learn how to use your diaphragm. Take several breathing breaks through out the day or just be mentally aware of how you are breathing. Spend some deliberate time learning how to find and use your breath the way you were intended to. Once you learn how to do this, you will make this "reflex" automatic and without thought. You will be well on your way to life.
Remember, there is no emergency. But if there ever is, knowing how to breathe will help you easily overcome whatever threatens you. Breathe on!
4 comments:
Hey Tim,
When you are doing a distance crawl are you able to do it with just nasal breathing? I try to do that but find I am not able to get enough oxygen and I resort to a combination of nasal and mouth breathing.
John
Hey buddy! Yes, I am able to just nasal breathe - inhale and exhale. It didn't happen the first time out though! ;)
Keep practicing. It WILL come.
Tim
Would the way to practice this be to go as far as I can just nasal breathing, stop when I cannot maintain just nasal breathing, take a short brake and continue until I hit that point again and so on and so on, even though physically I can go alot further without stopping?
John
John, that would be one way to approach it. Or, you could also just open your mouth when you need to, and close it again as soon as you regain your breath. either way, it should work.
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