How you breathe can heal or harm.
There are 3 BIG skills that we ideally should be taught to function as a healthy human being in this modern age.
MOVE - EAT - BREATHE
For some of us, we were lucky if we had someone to teach us to cook. And perhaps a select few were trained in sport, dance, or a physical skill of some sort. But be aware that our movement, nutrition and breath education falls short beyond ‘survival.’
Ask yourself, do you know how to use these 3 skills to prevent or ‘treat’ pathology, heal from injury and age with ability? Most of us don’t know how to use breath, nutrition or movement at this level because culturally we have separated ourselves from the root of health. How you eat and yes, what you eat will affect your body’s systemic inflammation, your immune system, your brain’s function & cognition and your body’s movement & stamina. How you move will influence brain function (it’s a cyclical relationship), your mood and mindset, circulation, respiratory function, digestion and pain tolerance. How we breath can also affect all the above in addition to our movement and digestion.
How you breathe can create or diminish certain pathologies.
There is a relationship between respiratory function and nutrition and movement. A change in just one of these factors can create a domino effect in our health as they are interrelated. One affects the other and vice versa, for the better or worse. So let’s start with an idea of how we’re feeling in our bodies.
Do you have an issue with the following?
Anxiousness
Digestive Issues
Low Energy
Suffering from Chronic Pain
Weakness in limbs
Vision Issues
Waking up in the night (even to use the bathroom)
Snoring
Waking Unrested
Foggy Mind
Cold Hands & Feet
Tightness across chest
Recognizing how your body and brain are performing can serve as a good indication that you may be in ‘survival mode’ and attention towards the 3 Life Skills (movement, nutrition and breath) may be necessary rather than ignoring or waiting until a symptom turns into a greater pathology.*
*The following is NO means an alternative to treatment plans but simply a focus on the benefits of conscious breathing, movement and eating habits.
BREATHE TO EAT AND MOVE BETTER
Breathe through the nose
Pop quiz: Which animal is a BIG mouth breather? Yup, the canine. And sadly that sweet lil fluff doesn’t live as long. Yet humans can suffer the same fate because…
While we may not be panting like a dog. Most of us hyperventilate. It’s true. We’ve never been taught to breathe. I’m assuming that since we haven’t dropped dead yet, we think our breathing is okay. However, our bodies are CONSTANTLY giving us warning signs that our breathing isn’t functioning properly.
Here is a safe way to begin the habit of nasal breathing. If you begin to catch yourself mouth breathing…
FIRST: Assess what situation you’re in. Are you sedentary? Being active? Working? Eating?
SECOND: Recognize how you’re feeling in that moment you caught yourself mouth breathing. Stressed? Excited? Tired?
THIRD: Attempt 3 breaths (in & out) through the nose to calm the mind’s thoughts and the body’s reaction to the breath.
Want more breathing drills? I’ve got TONS to offer you!
Sign up for my FREE workshop coming up Thursday Oct. 14th
Great news too, it’ll be recorded so you can watch it later if you can’t make it!
EAT TO BREATHE AND MOVE BETTER
Step away from the processed sugar
I know that sugar is the best thing EVER! It’s sweet. It colorful. It’s fun. And it makes me a better person at times. However sugar on the regular can be a BIG issue as it can cause inflammation and overload the system. When you are in pain, experience sleep issues or other digestive issues. Try cutting out the processed sugar for one week. Just start with the week.
The trick is, you’re gonna have to substitute that sugar craving as the 1st week is the hardest. Fruit is an excellent substitute. Nothing more banging than a banana when you want chocolate. An orange when you want candy. If you’re truly struggling xylitol is a good stand-in as you try to live without sugar for that 1st week.
The next step is attempting to end the craving of sugar and that is shifting habit of the craving by replacing sugar time with another tastebud activity. I advice many clients to try tea after dinner. Chamomile is CLEARLY not a chocolate mint but it’s naturally sweet and you’ll begin to taste the natural sweets in your life.
Slowing shift from sugar in the 1st week is the hardest. After a week you can recognize that you did DIE from lack of sugar and for some, their symptoms begin to resolve slightly. But that isn’t without adding in breathing exercises and movement drills.
Want more nutritional help? Specifically for Lung care?!
Join me Thursday Oct 14th for a Virtual Workshop. It’s for FREE!
Move to Breathe and Eat Better
Move that torso
When we have decades of improper breathing habits, the torso does not move. Ideally the ribcage should expand outward and upward during the inhale.
Step 1. To play with this expansion, try wrapping an ace bandage around your ribcage (not too tight, psycho!) and feel the ribs move against the wrapping.
Step 2. To make this look even cooler, curl up in a ball on your floor or couch.
Step 3. Take 3 deep breaths in as you feel your ribs expand. Then, exhale as loudly and for as long as you can via your mouth.* You should feel the bandage get loser as you fully exhale.
*Yes I know we JUST talked about nasal breathing but this big exhale via the mouth is a mobility drill to strengthen your exhalation muscles. Know that some movement drills are to be used & then forgotten so the brain can take over from here!
