Proper breathing and digestion
Breathing and digestion are closely related. Proper breathing slows down the aging process. People who live long in different parts of the world explain their longevity through good physical condition and deep, purifying breath. There aren’t many people aware of this.
The truth is that we can survive several weeks without food, a few days without water and just a few minutes without air. Life is constant processing of energy. The less energy we use during the processes necessary for life, the more we live. Most people think that food is the main source of energy. Nature, however, arranged things differently.
Those of us who are overweight can get rid of excess weight without changing their diet– by breathing properly. Those who want to get rid of a few kilos can do so by holding their breath for 30 seconds, several times a day. This way, I can lose 1.8-4.1 Kg in about two months. And of course, we also reduce the amount of food.
Proper breathing supplies the body with oxygen. The more oxygen our cells receive, the less energy is lost in physiological processes. Oxygen brought only through the airways does not provide adequate reserve. That’s why we need to make full use of another important organ in our breath – the skin.
The total area of the skin is about 25 square meters. Between our body and the environment there is a constant exchange of gases through the pores of our skin. Therefore, whenever possible, we should let the skin come into contact with the air:
- In the house let’s stay dressed as casually as possible.
- Let’s air the house several times a day.
- Let’s go for a walk before we go to bed.
- Let’s spend more of our free time outside.
- Let’s spend as much time as possible near the lakes or by the sea.
Breathing for health
The great yogi masters, from whom we learned the science of breathing, have highlighted that regular breathing exercises completely eliminate the danger of diseases of the respiratory system, protect us from colds and rhinorrhea and improve the functioning of the digestive and nervous systems.
Even when the disease immobilizes us, we can still breathe. By breathing properly we can fight the disease. You may have noticed that we breathe differently in different situations. For example, when we are agitated, breathing is weak and faster. When we sing, we breathe and then exhale very slowly. This gives the feeling of inner tranquility and relaxation.
Laughter is very similar. We always laugh when we exhale. The diaphragm resists the exhalation action of the abdominal muscles to allow the air to come out in small portions. That’s why laughter is healthy. Singing and laughing are the simplest and yet most effective breathing exercises and can become a part of a healthy lifestyle.
It certainly seems that no one needs to be taught how to breathe, we do this involuntarily, by instinct. However, the lack of physical exertion, the fact that we spend most of our time indoors, obesity and the wrong positions of the spine have caused our respiratory patterns to change.
We’re breathing the way we can, not the way we’re supposed to! Only children up to the age of five breathe correctly, as given by nature. Their way of breathing can be called “complete”. We should exercise full breathing before starting any other breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises are vital, because they allow the absorption and retention of huge amounts of energy from the air. That’s why yoga masters put breathing techniques at the top of the health ladder. If we walk for a long time in the forest (between three and five hours) and breathe oxygen-rich air, especially when we take a deep breath, we will feel tired, heavy and suffer from headaches.
This is because the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body becomes very low. When we hold our breath for a while, the exchange of gases in the blood is better and there is more carbon dioxide needed for cellular metabolism. Breathing is another secret of longevity. There are 6 breathing techniques, which I will present to you in the following article – stay tuned 🙂