Sometimes reading about a particular subject in one book piques my curiosity. I’m then drawn to read about that subject in more depth. This happened to me recently.
At Christmas I was gifted a copy of Julia Bradbury’s book ‘Walk Yourself Happy‘. The book is filled with plenty of good advice on the many benefits of walking in nature. But it was the chapter which explored the art of breathing that most absorbed my attention.
Changing how you breathe can fundamentally impact your health and wellbeing. Did you know that breathing through your mouth is really bad for you? I had no idea. Apparently around half of us are mouth-breathers. You can improve both your mental health and functioning of your vital organs simply by breathing through your nose. The author recommended a number of books on the subject. James Nestor’s ‘Breath: The new science of a lost art‘ was where I headed next. I was keen to learn whether I could tap into the benefits of better breathing.
Here are some of the key take-aways.
Nestor’s exploration of different breathing techniques is extensive. He puts himself through some pretty gruelling (and amusing) experiments in the name of science to demonstrate how different breathing techniques can impact both positively and negatively on your health.
Did you know that there is an optimal amount of breath your body needs? Over-breathing, or taking in too much oxygen can make you sick as it overworks your bodily functions. A Russian medical scientist, Buteyko, measured the breathing habits of more than 1,000 people. He discovered that healthier patients were breathing much less than those who suffered with asthma, hypertension and other illnesses who in contrast, were breathing too much.
By teaching the breathing techniques of the healthy breathers, Buteyko saw reductions in patients suffering with migraines and hypertension. Those who were already heathy felt even better and athletes claimed improvements in their performance. He discovered that the healthy patients exhaled more carbon dioxide than the unhealthy patients. The healthy patients inhaled and exhaled around 10 times a minute, taking in no more than 6 litres per minute when resting.
The other stand-out fact for me was that many of the world’s different approaches designed to relax you all largely amount to breathing in for 5.5 seconds and out for 5.5 seconds. This is around the10 breaths Buteyko discovered was the optimal number for healthy breathing.
So it turns out there is a scientific reason mindfulness, meditation and other systems which focus on breathing, are genuinely good for you.
In addition, changing the pattern of your breathing, even for a few minutes, can impact on your state of mind in positive ways. I wanted to explore how I could tap into some practical breathing techniques to change how I was feeling, so I turned to my Calm app. On a good day I will make time to meditate for 10 minutes before starting my work day. I do find this helps to centre me before I start work.
Benefits of different ways of breathing
In addition to meditations, the Calm app contains a series of breathing exercises. Interestingly, most of these complete breathing cycles over 10 seconds. Depending on which exercise you select, the way you breathe will impact on your state of mind. This can be very beneficial before a job interview, chairing or attending a challenging meeting, or a difficult conversation you need to have.
Relax
To quiet your mind and relieve stress, breathe in for 4 seconds and out for 6. (Do this for 2 minutes).
Balance
To relax your body and become more present, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 2 and breathe out for 4.
Restore
To strengthen your body and restore energy, breath into your belly for 2.5 seconds, into your chest for 2.5 and out for 5 seconds. (Do this for 3 minutes).
Focus
To sharpen concentration and improve performance, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, breathe out for 4 and hold for 4. (Do this for 2 mins).
Energise
To boost energy and alertness, breathe in for 4 and out for 2. (Do this for 5 minutes).
Unwind
To release tension and calm your mind, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 and breathe out for 8. (Do this for 10 minutes, ideally at bedtime before going to sleep).
I experimented by trying Relaxing breathing followed by Focus which immediately preceded a particularly difficult conversation I needed to have. I was amazed that I was genuinely much calmer and more centred than I would usually have been and handled the meeting feeling calm, alert and in control. It made me wish I’d completed the Unwind breathing exercise before trying to get to sleep the night before….
I will certainly be tapping into the Calm breathing exercises more regularly and would encourage you to experiment and see what impact they have in your approach to challenging situations.
It’s been fascinating to learn more about the power of breathing well and I can certainly recommend Nestor’s book – it’s a very engaging read.
