How to Breathe Healthy and It's benefits

We know how to breathe. It is something that occurs to us automatically, spontaneously, naturally. We are breathing even when we are not aware of it. So it seems foolish to think that one can be told how to breathe. Yet, one's breathing becomes modified and restricted in various ways, not just momentarily, but habitually. We develop unhealthy habits without being aware of it. We tend to assume positions( slouched positions) that diminish lung capacities and take shortened breaths. We also live in social conditios that are not good for the health of our respiratory system.

Benefits of deep breathing

Deep breathing produces the following benefits:

• Improvement in the quality of the blood due to its increased oxygenation in the lungs: this aids in the elimination of toxins from the system. Increase in the digestion and assimilation of food. The digestive organs such as the stomach receive more oxygen, and hence operate more efficiently. The digestion is further enhanced by the fact that the food is oxygenated more.
  Improvement in the health of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, nerve centres and nerves: This is due again to the increased oxygenation and hence nourishment of the nervous system. This improves the health of the whole body, since the nervous system communicates to all parts of the body.
• Rejuvenation of thye glands, especially the pituitary and pineal glands: The brain has  special affinity for oxygen, requiring three times more oxygen than does the rest of the body. This has far reaching effects on our well-being.
• Rejuvenation of the skin: The skin becomes smoother and reduction of facial wrinkles occurs.
  The movements of the diaphrgm during the deep brething exercise massage the abdominal organs- the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. This stimulates the blood circulation in these organs. The lungs become healthy and powerful, a good insurance against respiratory problems.
• Deep, slow, yoga breathing reduces the workload for the heart. The result is a more efficient, stroger heart that operates better and lasts longer. It also mean reduced blood pressure and less heart disease.
• The yoga breathing exercises reduces the workload on the heart in two ways.

1. Firstly, deep-breathing leads to more efficient lungs, which means more oxygen is brough into contact with blood sent to the lungs by the heart. so, the heart doesn't have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to the tissues.
2. Secondly, deep breathing leads to a greater pressure differential in the lungs, which leads to an increase in the circulation, thus resting the heart a little. Deep, slow breathing assists in weight control.

• If you are overweight, the extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently. If you are underweight, the extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands. In other words, yoga tends to produce the ideal weight for you.
• Relaxation of the mind and body: Slow, deep, rhythmic breathing causes a reflex stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in a reduction in the heart rate and relaxation of the muscles. These two factors cause a reflex relaxation of the mind, since the mind and body are very interdependent. In addition, oxygenation of the brain tends to normalize brain function, reducing excessive anxiety levels. The breathing exercises cause an increase in the elasticity of the lungs and rib cage. This creates an increased breathing capacity all day, not just during the actual exercise period. This means al the above benefits also occur all day.

Pranayama is a vital scientific and therapeutic aspect of yoga. It is the breathing process or the control of the motion of inhalation, exhalation and the retention of vital energy. By controlling Prana (life force), one can control all the forces of the universe, namely, gravity, magnetism, electricity and nerve currents.

During Pranayama inhalation stimulates the system and fills the lungs with fresh air; retention raises the internal temperature and plays an important part in  increasing the absorption of oxygen; and finally exhalation causes the diaphragm to return to the original position and air full of toxins and impurities is forced out by the contraction of the intercostal muscles.

These are the main components of Pranayama that massage the abdominal muscles nd tone up the working of various organs of the body. due to the proper functions of tese organs, vital energy flows to all the systems. The success of Pranayama depends on proper ratio being maintained between inhalation, exhalation and retention.