Do you even know how to breathe? This article will teach you – Quartz

The breathing seems easy enough. If you're lucky, you'll never think about it, because your breathing is natural, unhindered, without any effort.

However, learning to breathe thoughtfully is important. Our breathing and our health are inextricably linked and you can change your mental and physical state by understanding the ins and outs of your inspirations and exhalations, according to Ashley Neese, a breath specialist.

Neese teaches people to breathe. She works with groups and individuals to cultivate awareness of their life force so that they can use it conscientiously to relax, feel happier and even overcome traumas of a lifetime. His new book, How to breathe, Published in April, it tells a brief history of the breath in ancient spiritual and health practices such as meditation and yoga, and is interested in the current science of breathing. It also offers 25 simple exercises that you can do at home to put you in touch with the wind blowing on your body and gives you vitality.

"Thanks to neuroscience research, we are learning today that a number of nerve cells in the brainstem connect breathing to different states of mind," Neese writes. "This research is important because it confirms what thinkers, healers and mystics have known for ages; we have the power to change the way we think by changing the way we breathe. And since it is common knowledge that our thoughts affect our health, energy, and well-being in general, it is safe to conclude that altering our breathing can have a global effect on our entire body. "

Neese points out that adults typically breathe between 12 and 20 breaths per minute, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. About a quarter of the oxygen we breathe is used by the brain. Our breath is the "natural detoxifier" that keeps our mind and body clean and clear. You can then use your inhalations and expirations to send a message to your nervous system, slow down your heart rate and reduce stress if necessary.

The first exercise proposed by Neese is intended to have the opposite effect. "Just for fun," she suggests, try to hold your breath "while feeling happy." You will notice that it is impossible. You can not relax, and when you strive to breathe, it becomes harder to think, let alone appreciate the moment. Many of us go through life holding our breath unconsciously, and that's what Neese tries to correct with this exercise by making us more aware.

The rest of the book targets particular feelings with specific movements and breaths. Here are a few to introduce you to a practice of intelligent breathing.

The breath of joy

If you want to feel happy, Neese has come up with a three-minute rework program designed to improve the mood. She suggests that you stand with your feet apart from your hips, bend your knees slightly, and let your arms rest with you while you formulate the intention of feeling joy. Then take a few breaths, inhale and exhale only through the nose. Then stretch out your arms while inhaling. Hold your breath for a few seconds, release your arms and burst out laughing. Repeat this process 10 times, making sure to breathe and laugh as deeply as possible.

You might feel funny laughing at first, and Neese admits it can be embarrbading. But, she writes, "the breath of joy is an invitation to change the chemistry of your brain and your body, thus changing the way you feel from within." She says that joy is contagious and that if you practice this exercise, alone or with others, you will find that this great feeling can be cultivated "with intention and will".

Change of negative thought

If you are stuck in a mental loop and you continue to ponder the same thoughts, do not be afraid. Neese has another quick fix for what she calls "your tool kit to heal you," which alters your perceptions so that you can see more clearly and feel better immediately. She notes that it is natural that the brain focuses on negativity, which is wrong, as this trait has helped humans survive for so long. But she says, "Our equipment needs upgrading and that breathing can help us do it."

For this exercise, stand up and set your intention to clear the negative thoughts. Take three consecutive short breaths through your nose, then exhale three times through your mouth. Repeat these inhalations and exhalations for two full minutes, then rest for a minute observing any changes in your mental state. "Breathing through your mouth with this practice helps to release energy faster than nose exhalation," writes Neese. "This can be a faster way to change our state and, in the case of a negative thought loop, can be very useful for this change to happen quickly."

Cultivate resilience

The ability to overcome disappointments is essential to our mental and physical health. Psychologists increasingly argue that cultivating resilience, more than any other skill, guarantees a high quality of life, because the resilient person is self-reliant and internally motivated, able to cope with all the circumstances and circumstances. many inevitable setbacks that life presents.

Neese argues that we can use our breath to develop this skill. She says that her breath, her resilience, more than any of the other exercises that she proposes, "anchor you in the present [and] Helps you to feel alive "By regularly practicing this five-minute hack, you'll feel more flexible in general and with a deeper sense of self-esteem," she says.

To begin, stand straight with your feet apart from your hips. Bend your knees. Let your arms rest by your side when you define the intention to develop resilience. Breathe through the nose for a few cycles, and then take a deep breath through your nose as you reach your arms by the sides, palms of hands facing upwards. Then, slowly raise your arms over your head until your palms face each other. As you exhale, bring your hands back to your center line, stopping briefly on your heart and relaxing your hands. Repeat this cycle for three minutes, then relax with your arms around for a minute and think.

Neese recommends doing this exercise every morning before breakfast for a week. She thinks it's all the time that it will take for you to notice that you can "raise yourself, cultivate a stronger presence of life force and remind yourself that you have this. "

It sounds too good to be true, perhaps, yet Neese swears by these easy and free exercises. Surely, they seem worth it to try.