BREATHING PROCESS

 

                                

                                      BREATHING HABITS

                     WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE BREATHING PROCESS HAS AN INFLUENCE UPON VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE ORGANISM, FROM SUBTLE MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS IN THE ENERGIZATION OF ATP BY OXYGEN, TO THE GROSSER PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS WHICH PROPER AIR IN AND OUT OF THE LUNGS. OF THESE LEVELS THE MOST VISIBLE, AND THE ONE WITH WHICH WE IDENTIFY MOST CLOSELY, IS THE PHYSICAL MOTION OF THE CHEST ABDOMEN. TO BREATHE IS BEFORE ALL ELSE TO MOVE AIR INTO AND OUT OF THE BODY, AND THE MOTION OF THE CHEST AND DIAPHRAGM IS THE ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP IN DETERMINING THE AMOUNT AND MANNER IN WHICH OXYGEN IS DELIVERED FOR RESPIRATION.

                     THAT THE QUANTITY OF AIR TAKEN INTO THE BODY IS IMPORTANT IS OBVIOUS. NOT ENOUGH AIR AN CONSEQUENTLY INSUFFICIENT OXYGEN TO MEET THE BODY'S ENERGY DEMANDS WILL RESULT IN A REDUCTION, OR EVEN CESSATION, OF CELLULAR FUNCTIONING, ENDING IN DEATH. LESS OBVIOUS, BUT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, IS THE QUALITY OF THE BREATHING PROCESS, THAT IS, THE MANNER IN WHICH AIR IS INSPIRED AND EXPIRED. IDENTIFYING WHETHER BREATHING IS DIAPHRAGMATIC OR THORACIC, CONTINOUS OR INTERUPED BY PAUSES, RHYTHMICAL OR IRREGULAR CAN BE OF MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE IN DETERMINING ONE'S PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STATE. BY LOOKING AT A SINGLE SPECIFIC BREATHING CHARACTERISTIC OR GROUP OF CHARACTERISTICS, WE CAN THEN SPEAK OF DIFFERENT BREATHING MODES OR HABITS. EVERYONE HAS HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH A DISCRUPTION IN BREATHING PATTERN ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN OR POWERFUL EMOTIONS. A SOB OF GRIEF, A STARTLED GRASP, AND THE DEEP TREMBLING BREATHS OF ONE IN ANGER ARE FAMILIER EXAPLES OF HOW EMOTION CAN AFFECT BREATHING. BUT THE RELATIONSHIP EXTENDS BEYOND THIS, FOR A CHANGE IN THE BREATHING PATTERN CAN ALSO ALTER AN EMOTIONAL STATE AS WELL AS BREATHING PATTERN CAN ALSO ALTER AN EMOTIONAL STATE AS WELL AS EFFECT PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE BODY. AN EXAMINATION OF SOME COMMON BREATHING IN THE BODY. AN EXAMINATION OF SOME COMMON BREATHING HABITS WILL CLARIFY THIS.

                   DURING AVERAGE DAILY ACTIVITIES, MOST PEOPLE PREDOMINANTLY EMPLOY A VARIANT OF EITHER CHEST OR DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING. THE MAXIMUM INHALATION OF THE YOGIC COMPLETE BREATH CAN BE PERFORMED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME AS A BREATHING EXERCISE OR DURING HEAVY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHEN OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS ARE HIGH, BUT IT IS OTHERWISE RARELY ENCOUNTERED.

 

                   OF THE VARIOUS TYPES  OF BREATHING, THE ONE BEST SUITED FOR EVERYDAY RELAXED FUNCTIONING IS DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING. HERE, LUNG EXPANSION IS FOCUSED ON THE LOWER, GRAVITY DEPENDENT AREAS OF THE LUNG WHERE OXYGEN EXCHANGE CAN PROCEED MORE EFFICIENTLY. THE DIAPHRAGM PERFORMS ITS FUNCTION WELL, NOT ONLY IN ADULTS, BUT ALSO IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN WHERE TI IS THE SOLE MUSCLE OF INHALATON. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE MOST EFFICIENT BREATHING PATTERN,  THE DIAPHRAGM, AS IT CONTRACTS, PUSHES THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS DOWN AND FORWARD, AND THIS RHYTHMICAL MASSAGE GENTLY COMPRESSESS THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS, PROMOTING IMPROVED CIRCULATION.

                    IN ADDITION TO BEING AN EXCELLENT REGULAR MODE OF FUNCTIONING, DIAPHRAMATIC BREATHING HAS SHOWN POTENTIAL AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN DEALING WITH SEVERAL ABNORMALITIES. ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OF UNKNOWN CAUSE) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO RESPOND FAVORABLY TO A DAILY REGIMEN OF DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING. THIS IS ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGING WHEN ONE CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF DEATHS PER YEAR IN THE U.S. FROM HEART DISEASE ALONE THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RELAXATION EXERCISES, HAS RESULTED IN IMPRESSIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ANXIETY STATES IN AT LEAST ONE STUDY, AND THIS REPRESENTS A MODE OF TREATMENT FREE FROM THE POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. THE APPLICATION OF SUCH A SIMPLE, SAFE, AND INEXPENSIVE METHOD AS AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER THERAPIES IS AN EXCITING ONE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH.