Breathing - Actually ... Breathing PROPERLY

I have lived on this wonderful planet for nearly half a century without knowing how to breathe!

How can that be possible???
I thought I knew how to breathe, I really did. I thought breathing was easy... air in, air out. But, noooooooo! It's so much more complicated than that!

Belly Breathing instructions from WebMD

Now that I'm learning the basics of proper breathing, I've realized that I probably did know how to breathe, when I was a new-born baby. I probably even breathed correctly as a 2 - 3 year old toddler, but as I aged, I fought the natural rhythms of breathing and my body began to move air in a manner that delivers less air and creates more stress on my body. As a teen, I wanted to be thin, with a tiny waist, so I would NEVER allow my belly to poke out while breathing! I trained myself to breathe even more shallowly, in my upper chest only, not realizing that it would become such an issue as I aged!!!


For the past year, I've been trying to break those 45 year old bad habits and retrain my body to breathe properly. This is much harder than I ever imagined! I can breathe correctly when I concentrate, but I go right back to shallow, chest breathing as soon as I think about something else. I have always been able to slow my heart rate and de-stress through meditation. I mistakenly believed that I could simply learn to stretch that meditation type breathing throughout the day. But it's not quite so easy!
 

 

When I meditate, it's always been "all or nothing." I have to stop whatever I'm doing, find some place that is quiet and peaceful and then I can meditate. 



I can breath wonderfully when I'm meditating. I visualize beautiful, soothing, peaceful, surroundings and my body relaxes. The air moves deep into my lungs, just like it should.

However, when I finish meditating and I leave my quiet zone, life starts happening again. 

 

 

 My breathing becomes shallower and shallower.

 

My shoulders lift higher and higher.

 I start clenching my teeth.

The old habits are back so quickly... 

STRESSED AGAIN!



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So, I take another deep breath and start again!

 

I'm working on consciously paying attention to my breathing, and enjoying each breath, as it happens. Every time I feel my shoulders rising up to my ears with another shallow breath, I take note and remind myself to "belly breathe" again. Instead of wondering if breathing correctly will ever be natural for me, I concentrate on simply breathing properly now.

 

This moment is what is important.

This breath is the one breath that's keeping me alive right now!

Enjoy this moment!