Breathing is something that is fundamental to life, and yet so few of us actually do it properly.  Since it happens unconsciously most of the time, we often forget that we can control when and how we breathe.  This becomes important when we are faced with stressful situations.

North Americans, in particular, tend to shallow breathe which creates tension and can lead to respiratory problems and cardiovascular issues.

 

The Physiology of Breathing

According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, understanding how breathing works is the first step to knowing we all need to be more conscious of how we breathe.

When we inhale, our lungs fill up, which pushes the diaphragm down creating more space in the chest cavity.  When this happens, it signals to the brain to speed up the heart which increases blood pressure and provides more oxygen to the body, mimicking the physiological response to stress.  Breathing becomes quicker and shallower and generates more energy for the fight or flight stress response.  This is great if you are running away from a lion, however, the average person is not running away from a predator.  Unfortunately, our body and brain do not know the difference between modern stress and ancient stressors like running from danger.

When we exhale, the diaphragm pushes up decreasing the space in the chest cavity which signals to the brain to slow down the heart, which calms the mind and body.

The ideal way to breathe reduces the amount of time we spend inhaling and lengthening the time we spend exhaling.

 

Breathing Technique: Physiological Sigh

As our stress levels rise, and we breathe more and more quickly and shallowly, carbon dioxide builds up in our bodies, which then increases stress further (a vicious cycle), and limits our oxygenation.  When carbon dioxide levels increase, it causes the alveoli in our lungs to deflate, which further

reduces our oxygen levels.  Alveoli are the small air sacs at the ends of the bronchioles deep in the lungs.

In order to restore oxygenation and reduce stress levels,  we need to do a breathing technique called a “Physiological Sigh”.

 

How to Do a Physiological Sigh

 

Basically, a Physiological Sigh is a Double Inhale and a Long Exhale.

Breathe in deeply, and then pull another short breath into your lungs.  This expands the lungs, and the little extra breath pushes oxygen into the alveoli.  Then you do a long exhale, pushing out as much breath as you can.  Try to make the total time of both inhales shorter than the full exhale.

Do this at least 3 times to reduce your stress very quickly, and do it multiple times a day to benefit your health.

 

The Importance of Nose Breathing

In general, it is better for you to breathe through your nose than your mouth.  Mouth-breathing is associated with some health risks like asthma, tooth decay, gum inflammation, sleep apnea, allergies, and teeth/jaw abnormalities.  While the benefits of nose-breathing are numerous and

varied.

Nose-breathing filters out dust, allergens, and pollen, it humidifies the air you breathe in, and allows your body to release nitric oxide, a vasodilator (meaning it dilates your blood vessels) which improves oxygen circulation.

Health benefits of nose-breathing include increased air flow to arteries, veins, and nerves, improved lung capacity, aids immune function, strengthens the diaphragm, and supports correct mouth and jaw form.  Another major benefit is an improvement to cardiovascular function and regulating blood pressure.

 

See more information here:

Huberman Lab:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdhqBGqiMc

https://www.healthline.com/health/nose-breathing#during-exercise