Breathing for Health

by JanÉt Moyle, Principal Psychologist, Flourish Health Services

聽 Each time we take a breath we are determining our short term and long term physical, emotional and mental health.

Physical Effects

聽 Breathing shallowly creates tension, and can end up causing physical pain, a crampy or heavy feeling in the chest. This is because those muscles are not designed for breathing in this way and are sending a signal that they want relief from this extra duty.

聽 Breathing also maintains the proper balance of acid and alkali in every cell of the body, thus maintaining overall healthy functioning by controlling the amount of carbon dioxide in our blood stream.

Emotional Effects

聽 Overbreathing can easily cause a sense of being out of control, anxiety and if not corrected, may lead to panic.

Mental Effects

聽 When our breathing is shallow we upset the delicate balance of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the brain. This causes a loss of cognitive ability such as not being able to focus, remember, make decisions or think rationally.

聽 The major muscle in the body designed for breathing is the diaphragm. When we breath using the diaphragm the body, mind and emotions are more balanced in both obvious and subtle ways.