Picture this: when you breathe, do you notice only your chest and shoulders rising and falling, while your belly remains still? This shallow breath, confined to the upper chest, is an indication that you’re missing out on the remarkable potential of a full breath.
The Lost Art of Breathing in Our Hectic Lives
In today’s fast-paced world, our breathing has changed. As we navigate this fast-paced journey, our breath, the fundamental force of life, bears the brunt of these changes. We’re caught up in busy schedules and constant demands, causing our natural way of breathing to shift. It’s like our breath has lost its natural rhythm.
An art of living that can enable us to utilise each activity of the mind as an aid on the path to our unity with The Self , is indispensable. On this journey let’s explore how our modern lives affect the way we breathe and why it’s essential to reconnect with our natural breath. Discover how returning to our original way of breathing can bring vitality and peace to our lives.
In this article, I’d like to introduce you to a very important three-step rhythmic breathing:
Step 1: Technique
Step 2: Volume
Step 3: Rhythm
Shallow breathing robs us of the life-enhancing benefits of a complete breath. By embracing a more profound and diaphragmatic breath, we unlock the ability to fully oxygenate our body, calm our mind, and invigorate our spirit. The three step rhythmic will subject our body to a new natural rhythm and can be made natural by constant practice.
First Step: Technique
Imagine your breath as a gentle wave, gracefully moving through your body, bringing life to every corner. However, there’s a common misconception in our breathing, a mistake that limits the vitality and depth of our life force – shallow breathing i.e. shorter inhaling and exhaling than normal breathing.
This limited breathing technique bypasses the diaphragm, our primary breathing muscle. Instead of engaging this expansive muscle, we rely solely on the upper chest for our breath, neglecting the diaphragm’s capacity to create a full, deep inhalation.
To learn the proper technique for breathing, the first step is to start practising by lying flat on your back. Place one hand or a light book on your navel. Now breathe normally, not very deeply. With every gentle breath notice if the book or your hand that is on your navel is rising and falling. Your aim is to breathe normally and ensure there is no movement of the chest when practising the first step.
This step can be practised for ten minutes a day, gradually increasing this time. The position can also eventually change from lying down to sitting and then standing/walking so you’re able to transition from it being an exercise to it being your natural way of breathing.
Second Step: Volume
In the art of natural breathing, envision each inhalation as a moment of invigoration—a gentle yet fulfilling expansion of your lungs and ribs. Picture the air entering your body, filling your lungs completely, and gently extending your ribcage outward. This natural breath isn’t a mere shallow intake; it’s a full, enriching embrace of air that nourishes every cell in your body.
To practise the second step, stand with your back to a wall (without actually touching the wall) and breathe in as in the first step. As you breathe in, raise your hands above your head so that the back of your palms touch the wall. As you breathe out, lower your hands. In this second step, we breathe as we did in the first step and the stomach rises with the breath we take in, but when the hands reach the shoulder level, the chest rises a little as it fills in with air.
The movement of the chest is an indication of your lungs filling itself with air, rising up from the belly. Once you understand this method you do not need to practise by a wall. You can practise the second step sitting, standing and walking, as naturally as possible. The first and second step combined means that we breathe and expand our ribs, and with consistent practice, this will soon become the natural way you breathe as opposed to something you do while practising deep breathing specifically.
Third Step: Rhythm
In the symphony of life, our breath orchestrates a rhythm that evolves alongside our physical growth. Consider the breath of a little baby, a rapid and instinctive pace reflecting their tiny, developing body. As we mature and our bodies expand, so does our breath’s rhythm, transitioning into a more balanced and natural tempo.
In the symphony of life, our breath orchestrates a rhythm that evolves alongside our physical growth. Consider the breath of a newborn, a rapid and instinctive pace reflecting their tiny, developing body. As we mature and our bodies expand, so does our breath’s rhythm, transitioning into a more balanced and natural tempo.
Every breath, in its rhythmic embrace, fuels not just our lungs but resonates through every cell in our bloodstream. As our cells continually renew themselves—old cells dying and new ones emerging—the correct rhythm of our breath harmonises this regenerative cycle. It nurtures the vital processes of cell replacement and rejuvenation, allowing our bodies to thrive in this rhythmic dance of life.
How do we know if we’re doing the three steps correctly?
If we’re practising and performing the three step rhythmic breathing correctly, we will get a deep long outgoing breath every fifteenth or twelfth step in the early stages and later, with practice, it shall be at the ninth breath.
If you get a chance, observe the movement of the waves and sea at high tide by a seashore. You will notice there is a set rhythm, and the long wave i.e. the ones that will sweep up the shore towards you, is not random. This is the lower chest region in your body, near the navel.
Embrace the transformative power of rhythmic, natural breathing—a rhythm that transcends mere respiration. It’s a rhythm that breathes life into every cell, harmonising our existence in a symphony of renewal and vitality. The positive effects of breathing correctly will be unfailingly felt by you.
– Naomi SheedyObserve, practice, repeat and check in with yourself. Be enthusiastic and modest, and above all, be patient and gentle.
