As a basic human function, breathing is an obvious part of daily life, but we often undermine the importance of the quality of our breathing.
A bad breathing pattern can interfere with our sleep, mood, digestion, heart and much more. Luckily, there are several easy techniques to help us all get the best breath possible.
Take deep breaths and avoid shallow chest breathing
It is easy to get into the habit of taking short, shallow breaths and most of the time, we probably don’t even realise we are doing it! However, it’s important to train your body to breathe deeply as deeper breaths are better at oxygenating your body and can even help reduce stress.
But how can we tell the difference? If your chest is only rising and falling when you breathe then this means you’re likely taking shallow breaths. When we take a deep breath, our diaphragm should move downward to give lungs more room to fill up and expand. So, if your stomach expands when you inhale, that means you’re breathing with your diaphragm – hurrah!
Inhale through your nose instead of your mouth
Every breath you take should go in and out through the nose. It might sound simple but a large majority of us are guilty of breathing through our mouth. This means our lungs are getting more ‘unfiltered’ air that is raw, cold and full of viruses and bacteria.
To help purify the air, make sure you breathe in through your nose even if at first it doesn’t seem natural.
Keep your body relaxed
Our posture has a huge impact on our breathing. Slouching and tensing your muscles can make it harder to take full, deep breaths. Instead, maintain good posture through your breathing, this can be done by standing up straight, relaxing the shoulders and taking a deep breath. Even sitting up straighter in your chair so you aren’t slumped forward can make a great difference!
Here at The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel, we appreciate the importance of breathing and the great benefits which strong breathing techniques can bring.
With any of our ESPA treatments available at the spa, our expertly trained therapists provide guests with a breathing visualisation guide pre-treatment. This helps to ensure all of the guests feel completely relaxed and at ease and more importantly, they can also use these techniques at home!
Let us know if you’re going to adopt any of these techniques!
Love,
Rebecca x