Breathing is an essential part of our nutrition process, since the oxygen that goes into our lungs is transported to all the cells of our body, in order to do the cellular respiration process, that occurs in the mitochondria, and that, through the oxydation of the nutrients given to our bodies from our nutrition (click here to read about micronutrients and cell regeneration) produces the energy our body needs to keep our vital functions, and allow ourselves to take our creativity to action (click here to read about creativity from sublimation).
As we know our bodies better, we get to understand that there’s a more appropriate way of breathing in order to use 100% of our lung capacity, and increase our energy levels by eating just what is appropriate for us in our present moment (click here to read about nurtiring more by eating less). By following these simple steps we can potentiate our breathing process:
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Position: the most appropriate position for a more efficient breathing is being with our back straight, whether lying or sitting, with the shoulders open and the abdomen contracted.
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Inhalation: for a more efficient breathing, it is essential to inhale the air through the nose (for those who have had rhinitis and have gotten used to breathe throught the mouth, we gradually need to get used to breathe through the nose so the air can find its own way inside the nasal space – click here to read about how I got rid of rhinitis), since our nose serve as a filter for the air we breathe.
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External movement: as the air enters the lungs, the external movement of expansion must begin in the upper abdomen (where the diaphragm is) and expand towards the sternum (expanding the chest and keeping the shoulders still), when the air comes out, the contraction movement begins in the sternum and ends in the upper abdomen.
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Exhalation: when we have totally expanded our sternum we can start exhaling slowly through the nose.
To increase our lung capacity, we can perform this complete nasal breathing by counting the seconds as we inhale, hold the air, exhale and wait to start the process again. As we increase the number of seconds in these processes, we perceive an increase in our tranquility and our personal and creative energy. The idea is to maintain this breath at all times, so we need to integrate this practice to perceive its effect in all areas of our lives.
Love,
Ángel