One breath

Ever notice your shoulders going up and down while breathing? Yes? Well, then you’re probably doing it wrong! Ever run out of breath or feel that the breaths you’re taking aren’t enough? That’s probably because they aren’t! Look at a newborn baby and you’ll see that his or her entire body is engaged in breathing. The abdomen expands with every inhalation and contracts as the baby exhales. But as one grows up, we rarely notice our breathing – and even when we’re conscious of it, most of us do it wrong!

The human body needs oxygen to survive and this essential element is ingested every time we breathe. Air that’s inhaled through the nose and mouth travels past the larynx down the trachea to the bronchial tubes, which divide into smaller air passages in the lungs through which the air enters the alveoli where the oxygen is absorbed.

This oxygen rich blood is then transported all the way to the heart to pump it

through the entire body along the arteries. After which, our 30 trillion red blood cells consume this oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, which is transported back through the blood along our veins and into the lungs where it’s expelled during exhalation.

All this in one breath… pretty impressive, isn’t it?

Yet, for this process to happen efficiently, we need to breathe deep, well and consciously – at least until it becomes ‘muscle memory.’

So start practising proper breathing by consciously doing so in and out, slowly and deeply, 10 times every morning. You will feel tired after 10 breaths at first, which is a clear sign that you’re doing it right. By doing this every morning, you will kick-start your metabolism and give yourself more energy during the day. Repeat this exercise before and after working out, or even ahead of a presentation or stressful event… it works magically!

Practise proper breathing often because it’s essential for our survival… especially since so many things in life tend to take our

breath away!