Breathing Excercises

“Take a breath, take a deep breath now” might be some of the best advice ever written by David Gilmour almost 20 years ago. 

Years earlier he and his compatriots from Pink Floyd had written “Breathe, breathe in the air. Don’t be afraid to care.”   

Now I may be showing my age just a bit as that lyric from the iconic Dark Side of the Moon album was written over 50 years ago 🙂

The thing is, the importance of breathing is not something new, it has been around for eons – in fact since the beginning of time!

According to the Genesis account in the Bible, God breathed life-giving breath into Adam and he had life, a living being made in His image (Refer to Genesis 2:7). Without the air that we breathe on this planet we would all die.     

Therefore, it is not only an essential ingredient to life and living, it is the easiest and most effective way to relieve stress and to refocus our thoughts and mind on the things that really matter. 

When we take a slow inhalation of breath; breathing through the nose and then a big, long exhalation through the mouth, we’re signaling to the brain and body that we’re safe, that we are alive and that it’s okay to calm down. Within a matter of seconds, we start to feel more relaxed.

Most of us rarely, if ever need to think about breathing as it comes naturally and most of us don’t worry about the overall process of breathing. But learning to pay attention to our breath can improve how we feel and behave.

In the last few years or so, I’ve had to be especially vigilant about my breathing and the need to take a breath, as it is something that doesn’t come as easy as it once did. Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) does that 😦

I check my SpO2 levels twice daily to monitor any significant changes that may be happening in my lungs, watching for symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue and coughing.

You see, Scleroderma with associated ILD (Ssc-ILD) affects tissues around the airways, causing progressive scarring and this scarring causes the lungs to stiffen, and makes it harder to breathe. 

For those with breathing issues such as this it is often beneficial to take some time at the beginning of the day, or at the close of the day to slow down and focus on the air that we breathe. Not being afraid to care about oneself and breathing in the air slowly and then exhaling it, noticing any subtle changes, sounds etc. and the ease in which you are doing it.    

‘Slow Rhythmic Breathing’ helps us to regain a sense of calm.

So maybe you’d like to sit comfortably in a quiet space, with your back straight but not rigid, and your feet flat on the ground. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.

Take a deep breath in, filling your abdomen with air first and then your chest. Hold for a count of three and exhale slowly, allowing your chest to deflate first and then your abdomen.

Repeat this process, focusing on your breath and making sure to inhale and exhale deeply and slowly, for a few minutes or until you feel calm and relaxed. Remember, exhale for longer than you inhale.

The thing is, taking a moment to focus on taking a breath has a flow on effect for our mental health too.

We all need to take time out every now and again and create breathing space in our everyday busy lives where we can focus on just being. Especially those of us with rare autoimmune disorders or diseases, chronic illnesses, invisible disabilities and mental health challenges.   

Last year as part of the RENEW: Scleroderma Fatigue Study facilitated by the University of Michigan I was introduced to some breathing exercises that have been designed to help a person relax.

I wrote a post entitled “Learn to Relax” a couple of months ago which gives some insights into why relaxation practices such as the above ‘slow rhythmic breathing’ are important. 

Maybe you would like to give ‘Deep Breathing’ or diaphragmatic breathing a go. This is a technique that helps you focus on your diaphragm, a muscle in your belly and it is sometimes called belly breathing, or abdominal breathing.

By training your diaphragm to open up your lungs you help your body breathe more efficiently. It has a variety of other benefits and is the basis for many meditation and relaxation techniques, which can help lower your stress levels, lower your blood pressure, and regulate other critical processes in the body.

The thing is, when we are faced with a challenging or stressful situation, slowing down and taking a breath can also make a real difference in how we respond. So, next time something doesn’t go the way that you wanted, or someone upsets you maybe it would be helpful to “take a breath, take a deep breath now” 🙂

With practice, we can purposefully slow down our breath anytime and anywhere until we feel less frazzled and more confident.

For those of us who have a faith we can even use ‘breath prayers’ as a helpful way in which to slow down and focus on our breathing, as well as focusing on the Word of God. 

Breathing a prayer to God is simply a way of using our body to engage our mind on the Word of God. Richard Foster in his book, Prayer, refers to this kind of meditative prayer as “prayer of the heart”.

Here is an example of what a ‘Breath Prayer’ can look like using Psalm 23:1 as the basis; “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

Breathe in slowly and deeply as you whisper or think: “The Lord is my Shepherd;”

Hold your breath and your consciousness of God’s presence…

And then exhale as you whisper or think: “I shall not want.”

Hopefully you have found the above information helpful and will allow yourself time and space to slow down and focus on your breath and breathe easier. 

In closing I’d like to share a piece from the ‘New York Staff Band of The Salvation Army’ entitled “Breathe”. The lyrics of the song were originally written by Marie Barnett in 1995 and as you listen to the piece you may want to use them as a breath prayer:

This Is The Air I Breathe
This Is The Air I Breathe
Your Holy Presence
Living In Me

This Is My Daily Bread
This Is My Daily Bread
Your Very Word
Spoken To Me

And I… I’m Desperate For You
And I… I’m Lost Without You

This Is The Air I Breathe
This Is The Air I Breathe     

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

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