For those of us who aren’t yogis (I’ll admit, sometimes I think that I like the idea of yoga better than the actual practice), a yoga class that starts with ten minutes of breathing through your left shoulder makes it pretty difficult not to be skeptical. I’m also a swimmer, so Ujjayi breath means almost nothing to me; in swimming you’re either breathing or you aren’t. Simple. I think most people would agree with this generalization. Isn’t breathing supposed to be something you just . . . do?
According to a recent Huffington Post article, paying attention to your breathing has been proven to have many health benefits.
There are several advantages to focusing on your breathing. Check out this list, and you may just want to take note:
- Stimulated brain growth
- Improved heart rate variability
- Lowered stress levels
- Alleviated anxiety
- Reduced anxiety during testing
- Lowered blood pressure
- Altered response to stress
Breathing is something that you can let happen – or that you can make happen. Inhale and exhale with purpose!
Hint: For iPhone users, there’s an app for that. Apple offers an application to help users learn to breathing deeply!
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