I walked by my client lying on a mat in my studio – 2 months after she had been lying in hospital for 3 months – and asked why she was breathing that way. It was backwards, paradoxical. I said “every client I work with who breathes that way has an autoimmune issue.” Turns out she had been diagnosed with Sarcoid during that hospital stay. She had 2 months left on her ‘4 months to live.’
She took 3 years to unlearn her breathing pattern. She’s alive 9 years later.
Values for lung function (ventilation, blood flow, diffusion and gas exchange, arterial blood, mechanics of breathing, distribution of breathed gas and alveolar/pulmonary flows) vary with body position, age, gender, size, altitude, genetic health and medications.
Breathing inefficiencies are associated with depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, autoimmune issues, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and other psychophysiological disorders.
There are many right ways to breathe. Learn 4-square breathing, how to exhale longer, lateral breathing, pilates breathing and other breathing techniques. Learn the anatomy associated with correct essential human breathing at rest, and the additional muscles associated with forced inhalation and exhalation – exercise breathing.
Learn to breathe. Love to breathe.
(Photo is not associated with the person in the text example. Get clearance to learn to breathe if you have diabetes, obesity or any psychosomatic or physiological concerns.)