Just Breathe...

Just Breathe…

Wellness became a buzzword a few years ago and crept from the fringes of society to become so mainstream that the meaning of the word ‘’wellness’’ became interchangeable with health. But, what is the idea behind the concept of wellness? Is it merely a new take on the old adage that ‘’prevention is better than cure’’? Can it possibly mean that ‘‘health is more than the absence of disease’’? How about ‘’a dynamic process of change and growth’’ or, all of the above? While all of this sounds well and good, the idea of ‘’wellness’’ also appears to be a remote ideal. In order to achieve such noble yet abstract goals, we often have to take convenient, practical and workable steps. Something I find wonderfully accessible to attain wellness is our breath, especially when you are strapped-in and high up in the air.

Place your hand over your diaphragm, palm down, just above your belly. Take a deep, long breath. Try it. Allow your belly to rise as your diaphragm rises. Do not contract nor hide your belly as your inhalation pushes it out. Allow your body to relax as you breathe out. Breathe into your hand again. Don’t worry what the passenger next to you thinks; you are not doing anything less natural than the blood circulating in your veins right now.

Yes, breathing is subconscious, just like digestion, and, yet, when we’re stressed, anxious or find ourselves in stressful situations, several subconscious bodily functions are adversely affected. Fortunately for us, breathing is the one function we can consciously influence and control. Breathing, therefore, is a singularly important ingredient to relaxation.

Think about it. When we are stressed and anxious, we take small, shallow breaths. These same shallow breaths inform our brains that we are possibly in a threatening situation which, in turn, induces the activation of the body’s stress responses. Sometimes, while all of this happens, your body automatically and unconsciously tries to take a full breath by sighing, or huffing and puffing.

If we can learn to consciously take a real deep breath, we can kick-start the parasympathetic nervous system into dropping our heart-rate, lowering our blood pressure, all the while helping to promote and create a state of calm inside.

One can also cultivate a deeper knowledge of breathing by practising yoga and meditation, but, right now, while you are reading this, use your desire for wellness by taking a long, deep and slow breath.

There are many ways to attain ‘’wellness’’ and so much more to know about breath and breathing but, right now, you are aware of the first simple steps.

We take more than 21, 000 breaths a day. Why not make a few of those conscious and calming? Use your lung capacity for more than just the next shallow breath of air.

Kirsty Watermeyer

Kirsty is a yoga and meditation coach, a transformation facilitator and writer. Contact her atkirsty@seednamibia.com