Women_Health_and_Fitness_Magazine_October_2016

to poor oxygen concentrations, which is
a risk factor for health issues including
hypertension and heart problems.
Naturopath Mim Beim (breathingwell.
net.au) says that learning to breathe through
your nose is the best thing a mouth breather
can do for their health. Benefits include
fewer colds, better circulation and improved
concentration, Beim says.
BLISS TIP:Whenever you catch yourself
breathing through your mouth, swap to nose
breathing. It’s that simple.

STEP TWO

BREATHE FROM

YOUR ABDOMEN
To get the most out of each breath, you need
to breathe from your belly, says Ben-Moshe.
“Optimal breathing stems from the abdomen,
where a richer inhalation of oxygen and
exhalation of carbon dioxide occurs, slowing
the heart rate and easing anxiety.” She says
breathing deeper in this way stimulates the
parasympathetic nervous system, which
induces feelings of “peace and calm”.
“Interestingly we begin our lives breathing
well, which can be seen watching babies
breathing, as they take deep breaths in
and out with their abdomen rising and
falling, not their chest,” Ben-Moshe notes.
Somewhere along the way we lose this vital
skill of breathing through our tummies, and
rely on shallow breathing instead.
BLISS TIP:Place your hand on your belly
when breathing. Though it feels counter-
intuitive, Ben-Moshe says that when you
breathe in, your abdomen should stick out,
and when you breathe out, your abdomen is
sucked back in.

STEP THREE

BREATHE

DEEPLY
As well as drawing breath from the bottom
of your belly, you want to breathe deeply,
taking in as much air as you can with your
breath. The exhale should expel all the air in
one breath too.
Breathing deeply stimulates the
parasympathetic nervous system, which
naturally relaxes us. “In this state endorphins

(those feel-good hormones) are released,

introducing feelings of happiness and

wellbeing, and oxygen delivery improves,

which enhances mental stamina and

clarity,” says Ben-Moshe. “With each deep,

long breath, muscle stress and tension

are released.”

BLISS TIP: Concentrate on breathing all

the way in until you can’t take in any more air.

Hold that air then really release it until you’re

sure there’s nothing left.

STEP FOUR

PRACTISE

Because breathing correctly feels “counter-

intuitive” (you know, the whole belly ‘out’

while breathing in and belly ‘in’ while

breathing out thing), Ben-Moshe says, “It

really takes a while getting used to and, like

so many things, needs to be practised.”

So don’t expect this kind of breathing

to just become second nature. Instead, take

time each day to refine your technique

and get better at it. As they say, practice

makes perfect, and who doesn’t want to

breathe perfectly?

“Becoming aware of your breathing takes

practice, but it’s well worth it,” Ben-Moshe

notes. “Becoming a ‘conscious breather’

means heightening your awareness of how

you are breathing at different times in the

day. You will begin to notice when you are

breathing more shallowly, more quickly,

and even when unconsciously you may be

holding your breath, which often occurs

during deep concentration.”

BLISS TIP: Set aside time every morning

and evening to practise this deep breathing

technique. Even a few minutes can help

centre and calm you.

BUTEYKO

BREATHING

Named after Konstantin Buteyko (a

Russian doctor who developed this

technique back in the 1950s), this

is all about minimising your breath

intake. In other words, taking gentle

breaths using your diaphragm,

says Beim. “Although it may sound

counterintuitive, ‘over breathing’ is

unhealthy,” she says.

Buteyko believed we needed more

carbon dioxide (the stuff we breathe

out) in our body in order to relax our

smooth muscles and help improve

circulation and lower blood pressure.

Increasing carbon dioxide levels is also

said to switch on the parasympathetic

nervous system (the chill-out one).

Alternate nostril breathing

As the name suggests,

this breathing technique

is about alternating

which nostril you breathe

through. Also known as

nadi shodhan, it’s said to

help calm the mind and

bring you into the present.

To practise, sit upright,

with your left hand resting

(palm up) on your left

knee. Then put your right

hand to your face, resting

your middle fingers on

your forehead, your ring

finger on your left nostril

and your right thumb on

your right nostril.

Next, cover your right

nostril with your thumb

and exhale deeply through

your left nostril, then inhale

with your left nostril. Now,

cover your left nostril (and

unblock your right one)

and do the same breathing

with the right nostril.

Keep switching nostrils

and do nine rounds of

that, aiming to keep your

breathing slow and calm. It

can help to close your eyes

throughout the process.