The way we BREATHE affects the way we THINK.

Our breath is our best friend when we utilize it fully. The deeper into our lungs we breathe, the more of our mind is accessed. When caught in anxiety, worry, doubt, sadness, grief, anger, fear, etc... we are usually only breathing into the very top of our lungs, which are the smallest. This keeps us trapped in a narrow mindset that spins a negative narrative. If we can pause during difficult emotions and start to breathe into the very bottom of our lungs, which are the largest, we can shift out of the small-minded trap and into a much larger perspective.

The lungs are energetically running the strongest in the autumn, which is the easiest time to tonify them and increase their capacity.

A deep diaphragmatic breath massages our abdominal organs as well. They are stimulated and invigorated. These alternating squeezing and relaxing actions help pump blood through the organs of the abdomen and play a key role in moving waste through the intestines. This gives the reason why the large intestine is energetically the partner to the lungs, they both receive nourishment and let go of waste.

The lungs are pear-shaped, with the narrow end pointing upward. This means that with chest breathing, only the narrow top part of the lungs is used, rather than the larger, deeper recesses accessed during diaphragmatic breathing.

Due to gravity, the lower recesses of your lungs have a richer supply of blood pumping through them and thus are better suited for the efficient exchange of gases during respiration.

Less energy is required to breathe with the diaphragm, than with the chest muscles. Shallow chest breathing never empties the waste products from the deep recesses of your lungs where they accumulate and stagnate.

So, whenever possible, breathe from your diaphragm.

When we REGULATE our BREATH

We REGULATE our EMOTIONS

When our mind is stuck in negative patterns our breath is often being held or it's very shallow and there's no awareness of it. This is when we have repressed emotions of resentment, guilt, fear, or loss of control.

A scattered shallow spasmodic breath above the diaphragm in the smallest lobes of the lungs causes reactionary and frustrated emotions outwardly, and agitated and delusional emotions inwardly, which can result in volatile behavior.

When the breath vacillates between steady and calm abdominal breath and erratic staccato shallow breath, the middle lobes of the lungs are accessed. The emotions alternate to extreme opposites. When the breath is deep, we feel beneficial emotions, but can quickly shift to the polar opposite, love/hate, forgiveness/resentment, joy/depression, courage/fear.

With a deep abdominal breath, breathing into the lowest and largest lobes of the lungs relieves pressure on the heart and freshens the flow of circulation to the liver, kidney, spleen, gallbladder, and stomach. It reduces high blood pressure. This deep breath in yoga poses increases our physical stamina and strengthens confidence. This deep breathing builds greater emotional stamina.

In a long slow meditative breath, there is a feeling that the breath has stopped, but it’s actually the emerging of the inhalation and exhalation as concentric circles of the breath that merge, and spiral into each other. It feels like we are no longer breathing but the breath is long, deep, and subtle. This is the opposite of the stuck mind, it is a light, expansive, and all-encompassing mind. The breath and mind are inseparable. The SELF is actualized. We move beyond the polarities of opposites. The mind evolves out of judgments or criticisms and feels unconditional love for all beings. The presence of this breath is deeply healing.

Namaste,

Maggie