Breathe - Living Out of the Box

Relaxed Charlie (Charlie photos by Nat Clymer)

I have a sign over the exit door in my office that says Breathe. We take our breathing for granted unless we are ill and yet focusing on the breath would help our anxiety enormously. Breathing is a very important way to clear and release stored emotional traumas. Here are several things that I know about breathing.


1- As babies we naturally take deep belly breaths and then as stress accumulates, we become chest or thoracic breathers.

2- Breathing in and out through the nose properly prepares the air you breath. Mouth brething can lead to hyperventilation

3- If your out breath is longer than then the in breath, it is a relaxing breath. So if you breathe in through your nose for the count of 4 and breathe out through the nose
for the count of 8,  you will feel more relaxed. If you want an energizing breath, then reverse the length. You would breathe in for the count of 8 and out for 4.

4- Over 70 % of waste by products are cleared through our breathing and our skin. In Chinese medicine, the skin is known as the third lung.

5- Square breath- calming easy breath to use twice daily
Breath in for the count of 4
Hold the breath for the count of 4
Breath out for the count of 4
No breath for the count of 4.
As you get more proficient, you can extend the time.

Breathing is efficient, no cost and has huge health rewards. Take a big breath today.