"To Be" Extending the Exhale

Entry inspired by this interesting read.

I latched onto every page of this book in hopes to dig a bit deeper into the physiology and ancient practices of breathing. I got a lot more out of this read than I was expecting to. I love to learn about the body and mind to maintain rust free from the stressors of daily life. As a yogi and Child Care Worker, using my breath is the primary tool in guiding me through what I do.

Regulate thy self.

My additional WHY for choosing this book was because I KNOW breathing is essential for life and calming oneself I had just wondered why I keep asking my yoga students to breathe in and out through the nose. Who cares?

Well, you should. There are tons of reasons! It all makes perfectly clear sense but I was truly fascinated by it all. Here's the list below.

Benefits of breathing through the nose:

1. Our bodies absorb about 18% more oxygen (thanks to a boost in nitric oxide- what even is that? Did some googling aha).

2. The nose filters, heats, and moistens the air for easier absorption

3. Cilia in the nose triggers a hormonal release that boosts the mood! dang.

4. Additional released hormones and chemicals aid in digestion and lower blood pressure

5. Plays a role in erectile dysfunction

6. Influences immune function, circulation, weight, sexual function, mood (gotta say it twice, so cool).

7. Aids in better sleep - reduces snoring and sleep apnea

8. Regulates our heart rate

9. Opens vessels in our toes

10. Stores memories (I want to look into this more. Book didn't delve into this).

11. Breathing solely into the left nostril: is deeply connected to the parasympathetic nervous system

12. Breathing solely into the right nostril: accelerates ya! Cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rates increase.

I am sure there are more benefits to name. With this information alone it is clear that the mouth is meant for kissing and the nose, made for breathing.

"Breathing is a power switch to a vast network called the autonomic nervous system" ~ p.144

Read that line above again. At first you think, ya breathing is automatic... I do it without thinking. BUT James Nestor argues this: we cannot just let our breath run its course as is because we are breathing too fast and not using the full capacity of the lungs. By manually creating fuuuulll inhales and looongger exhales & doing it less frequently we will turn the parasympathic nervous system switch on (aka. rest and digest) (aka. netflix and chill).

Breathing full + slowly + less = calmer, chiller, regulated, peaceful, rested, restored, mosty likely happier life.

Smart cookie. Control your breath. Hide your kids. hide your wife.

Its becoming clear to me now as to why I have felt so good when leaving a yoga studio feeling all high and zoned out! Taking time and effort to breathe with intention, releases all sorts of hormones and chemicals to regulate. Plus, you think you are just moving the daiphram simply up and down? No No, you are taking in tens of billions of molecules that play roles on the bod, influencing organ functions, heart rate, digestion, mood and much more! Yoga class is doing a lot behind the scenes. OOO movie idea: Osmosis Jones part 2. The Journey to the Lungs.

This is going to be a constant practice for us to slow down and expand those lovely lungs. I am eager to learn more about the impact breathing better will have on addressing my asthma.

Breathing better. There are techniques! I'll share one from the book I really enjoyed:

Box Breathing

navy SEALs use this technique to stay calm and focused in tense situations. It's simple.

Inhale for a count of 4; hold 4; exhale 4; hold 4. Repeat.

Longer exhales will elicit a stronger parasympathetic response. A vriation of both breathing to more deeply relax the body that especailly effective before sleeping is as follows:

Inhale to a count of 4: hold 4; exhale 6; hold 2. Repeat.

There are plenty of techniques, apps, videos and such to watch but at the end of the day all you need is yourself. The grandest thing of all is that you bring your breath with you everyday, you can practice breathing better and no one will know! Go ahead, tell them though if you are a sally soundtracker, like myself. Moving forwards, I will keep reminding myself to breathe through my nose without judgement :) It is a lifelong practice.

If you are feeling alone during the holidays please reach out to me. Know that you are not alone but feeling alone is real and difficult. Breathe, breathe, breathe and reach out for support. Our bodies are magnificent and our minds are wild so take care of them one inhale 1, 2, 3, 4 and one exhale 1, 2, 3, 4 at a time.

Lemmie know if you need yin yoga in your life. I teach Tueday evenings at 7:30 pm live online. Only one class left for the rest of this month! Connect with me, you, and other likeminded folks.

your girl,

ZO Fern xoxo.