Health & Healing: Just a breath away

What is the secret to a happy, healthy life? The answers are shouted tirelessly from the headlines of countless checkout-stand magazines, with new routines and remedies proffered every week. Truly, there are many paths to health and happiness, but one of the easiest and most effective avenues available to us is the one most often overlooked. We're referring to the breath, or more specifically, conscious breathing.

There is perhaps nothing more elementary, natural, and automatic than the breath. Ninety percent of the energy our bodies use comes directly from the breath and with it the amazing potential to improve our health, boost our stamina and creativity, and shield us from the harmful effects of stress and anxiety. But it is something that most of us take for granted. Most of us rarely, if ever, pay much attention to the effortless but essential act of filling our lungs - a function we perform nearly 20,000 times every day - yet the immediate benefits of conscious breathing can provide significant, even extraordinary results.

Most of us release considerable unused potential with our breath - potential which can be used to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, accelerate healing, improve learning and memory, and soothe agitated emotions. Competitive athletes have found it can enhance their performance, and spiritual seekers from nearly every tradition have used the breath for thousands of years to achieve deep states of meditation, contemplation and prayer.

NATURAL BREATHING

Watch babies breathe. They inhale naturally and deeply, and their stomachs expand like a balloon with each breath. But as the years go by, stress, posture, and the hours hunched over a computer or the wheel of a car all conspire to restrict breathing until we are quite comfortable taking small sips of air into the tops of our lungs. Replacing this habit with slow deep breathing is the most important thing you can do for your health. It is the cornerstone of conscious breathing.

Getting started couldn't be easier. It doesn't require any new equipment, clothing, or club memberships. It is something you are already doing nearly a thousand times an hour and with just a little attention every day, you can improve the breathing habits that have unconsciously developed over the course of your life.

THE SIX-SECOND BREATH

To begin, set aside 5-10 minutes out of your daily routine - away from computers, cell phones and television - find a comfortable sitting position, and take slow deep breaths. As you breathe, gently expand your lungs downward and out, holding for a moment before exhaling. Be sure to breath through your nose and be aware of each inhalation and exhalation and the sensation each has on your body. If your mind wanders, bring it back to observing your breath.

Normally, we breath somewhere between 15 and 20 times a minute, and not often as deeply as we should. Slowing this pace down to about 10 times a minute (6 seconds per breath) provides the maximum health benefit and does wonders to calm your emotions. The 6-second breath is performed as follows: inhale for 2 counts, hold for 1 count, exhale for 2 counts, and hold for 1 count. As you become more comfortable with this slower, deeper style of breathing, find ways to remind yourself throughout the day to stop and take a few deep breaths. As seemingly small and insignificant as this ritual may appear, it will provide huge benefits in achieving deep relaxation, alleviating fatigue, experiencing bursts of creativity and much more.

Practiced regularly, you'll begin to develop a pleasurable habit of conscious breathing. It's an addiction that nothing else can match, and you will find that it will become an ally and resource on which you'll constantly rely. As the unpredictable waves of life knock you off course, conscious breathing will provide you a deep anchor that keeps you steady, both mentally and physically. How will this potent source of energy impact your health, stamina, clarity, and creativity? The answer lies with your very next breath.