Take a Deep Breath

"Remember what makes the lungs move?  Your diaphragm.  That's the muscle that pulls your lungs down, so your lungs expand and you can really circulate oxygen down throughout the whole lung.  To learn proper breathing techniques, take yoga lessons ― where people focus as much on their breathing as they do on their ability to scratch their heads with their toes.  Lie flat on the floor, with one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.  Take a deep breath in― slowly.  Lying on the floor at first when you practice is important, because if you stand up, you're more likely to fake a deep breath by doing an exaggerated chest extension, rather than letting it fill up naturally.  Imagine your your lungs filling up with air; it should take about five seconds to inhale.  As your diaphragm pulls your chest cavity down, your belly button should be moving away from your spine as you fill your lungs.  Your chest will also widen―  and maybe rise every so slightly― as you inhale.  When your lungs feel fuller than a sumo wrestler's lunchbox, exhale slowly - taking about seven seconds to let all the air out.  You can pull your belly button toward your spine to force all the air out of your lungs.
 
Okay, so now you know how to breathe deep, but what's the benefit?  What will deep breathing get you, besides stares on the subway.  A lot, actually.  For one, it help transport nitric oxide― a very potent lung and blood vessel dilator that resides in your nasal passages― to your lungs.  So it makes your lungs and and blood vessels function better.  Taking deep breaths helps your lungs go from 98 percent saturation of oxygen to 100 percent saturation of oxygen.  Another benefit is that it helps improve the drainage of your lymphatic system, which removes toxins from your body.  Of course, it also helps in stress relief.  The deep breaths act as a mini-meditation, from a longevity standpoint, is an important stress reliever.  Shifting to slower breathing in times of tension can help calm you and allow you to perform, whether mentally or physically, at higher levels."
-  Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D., You: The Owner's Manual, 2005, p. 165

Breathing: Quotes, Notes, Qigong, Taiji, Yoga, Techniques


Breathing: Bibliography, Quotations, Notes

The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama  By Richard Rosen.  Foreword by Rodney Yee.  Illustrations by Kim Fraley.  Boston, Shambhala, 2002.  Index, notes, 304 pages.  ISBN: 1570628890.  VSCL.    

Pranayama Beyond the Fundamentals: An In-Depth Guide to Yogic Breathing  By Richard Rosen.  Includes an instructional audio CD.  Boston, Shambhala, 2006.  Index, bibliography, glossary, notes, 214 pages.  ISBN: 1590302982.  VSCL. 

Light on Prānāyāma: The Yogic Art of Breathing  By B.K.S. Iyengar.  Introduction by Yehudi Menuhin.  New York, Crossroad Pub. Co., 2012.  Originally published in 1985 in English.  Index, glossary, appendices, 296 pages.  ISBN: 9780824506865.  VSCL.