Breath: Bringing It All Together!

Our breath is the grand connector between our outer and inner worlds. As inhalation begins in our nose, passes through the throat and reaches our lungs. The exhalation backtracks this route to let the air out of our nose. All movements in our body are made by muscles so various muscles are involved in breathing process. We have three important sets of breathing muscles,

1.Diaphragm muscles

2.Intercoastal muscles

3.Clavicular muscles

When I talk about three important sets of muscles, in this their is very important muscle that is Diaphragm, i.e, a major muscle of breathing or we can say as Primary breathing muscle.It is dome shaped thin sheet of muscle located horizontally that separates the chest cavity to the abdomen cavity. We should use these muscles for breathing more but unconsciously we don't know and sometimes in the influence of emotions we are using secondary muscles.

The movement we breathe in and out through our diaphragm, it massages your abdominal area and also when it goes up it massages your lungs and heart so it's very important muscle as it represents eighty percent of breathing. When we inhale, the diaphragm flattens and expands the movement you exhale, it moves up and abdominal cavity. It is sometimes called belly breathing or abdominal breathing and it represents 80 percent of our breathing.

The Intercostal muscles occupy the space between the ribs. During this breathing there is expansion and contraction of ribcage. Inadequate movement of the ribs due to shallow breathing can cause the spine to become rigid and inflexible.

The Secondary breathing muscle is Clavicular, these muscles are located just below the collor bone. When we are emotionally disturbed we generally breathe through clavicular muscles. It is important to learn Clavicular breathing for a complete Yogic breathing, but remember ,we should always be breathing otherwise through diaphragm which improves our over all respiratory capacity.

None of the above muscles work by themselves. Their action is interdependent for every breath.When we use more of abdomen muscles, our chest muscles will be relaxed and our abdomen muscles will function well. So, in the process of breathing we should be using all these three above mentioned muscles every day which will keep away from respiratory problems. Also, seventy percent of toxins are taken out from deep -breathing.

Normally, six litres of air (oxygen)is required for men and three to five litres of air is required in case of women but we are shallow breathers, we do not breathe full and don't use the fullest capacity of lungs. As a result, a toxic build up occurs in the body leading to reduced vitality, premature ageing, and a poor immune system.

Our breath is the first to get affected by stress. But, with our conscious breathing we can influence our nervous system, transform our mental, emotional and even physical health and maintain well-being. How we breathe and how much we give ourselves a chance to breathe consciously every single day can strongly influence our health.

So practice deep breathing on daily basis as our breath quality guides our life's quality. Remember our breath is our guide, our companion and each time each breath is saving our life. So Just Breathe and let's work on oneself making it a joyful & enjoyable experience.

Thank you...Much Gratitude!!!

Your suggestions and feedback are most welcome.