By: Ed & Wendy Harrold,
Comfort Zone Center
for Whole Self Healing

Breathing is the most basic function of human life. It’s not something we’re taught when we were young. When born, we naturally begin life nasal and belly breathing. It is the only physiological function that occurs naturally, and, if we so choose, we can control our breath. What we call life begins with our first breath in and ends with our last breath out. Thus, life is the process contained between these two breaths and sustained by the intervening breaths. So, we can say that breath is life, for although we can survive for many days without food and water, without breathing we can survive for only a few minutes.

What is commonly called “breathing” is technically referred to as respiration. There are three levels. The first is the most familiar: inhaling and exhaling through the nose or mouth. This provides the body with its most precious nutrient, oxygen.

The second level occurs once air has entered the lungs. The lungs contain countless alveolar sacs, which are thin, membranous, microscopic structures shaped like bunches of grapes. In these sacs, two gases – oxygen and carbon dioxide – dance past each other. Oxygen rushes to merge with the oxygen-depleted blood during inhalation, and carbon dioxide and other products of oxidation escape during exhalation.
The third level of respiration occurs at the cellular level, where oxygen is needed for the body’s energy production. This process begins when nutrients and oxygen enter each cell and contact certain enzymes. Their interaction liberates the energy necessary for our growth, repair, movement, and thinking.

Our breathing as adults is usually a shallow, superficial process involving only the upper portion of the lungs, and using a small percentage of their 5-quart capacity. These poor breathing habits develop over time for several reasons; sedentary lives and accumulated tensions and stress cause the abdomen to become tight, preventing us from inhaling deeply. This shallow, superficial breathing deprives the body of both oxygen and prana (the vital life force), bringing about deterioration in health and premature aging.

Modern-day scientists are discovering what yogis have known for thousands of years: Yoga movements and breathing techniques increase lung capacity and efficiency, often better than vigorous exercise. Yoga techniques can change the dimensions of the rib cage, thus allowing more air into the lungs. Apparently these movements help to prevent the decrease in flexibility of the rib cage that occurs with age.
Yoga techniques also strengthen the diaphragm muscle. This enables one to exhale more completely, allowing for a deeper, dynamic inhalation to follow. The thickening of the diaphragm allows an individual to burn fat stored instead of the body’s limited supplies of sugars. So, we don’t have to raise your heart rate to burn calories. This is a positive aspect for both an athlete looking to harness energy in the body as well as the individual looking to enjoy weight loss.

Positively influencing lung capacity not only improves daily life and athletic performance, but also helps to prevent lung disease due to a decrease in chest mobility. When chest mobility is high, the incidence of upper respiratory illness is reduced. Proper breathing may also help with cardiovascular diseases as well as various anxiety disorders. From a yogic standpoint, the inhale is for the mind, and the exhale for the body. The mind takes the energy first as the inhale flows thru the sinuses and feeds the pineal and the pituitary glands. These two pea sized glands basically control all body functions. These two glands are a command and communication center for the proper distribution of fluids, sugars, etc. The exhale serves the body’s ability to relax and remove waste. Any skillful exhale thru the nostrils will release tension, improve energy levels and remove toxic depression. This exhale also reprograms the pace of your inhale.

At The Comfort Zone Fitness & Yoga we focus much of our attention in teaching our clients how to breathe properly throughout their yoga classes and many other forms of exercise. When you can control your breath, this invites folks to feel more. This allows the mind to become sensitive to the body’s needs. The breath work is the secret to our success with the Flexibility For Athletes program and for helping folks to improve life and health overall. Ed is certified in advanced forms of yogic breathing. If you’d like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

To learn more about our facility, visit our website at  www.comfortzoneyogacenter.com.

Publisher’s Note:
If you have not experienced the Comfort Zone for yourself, you are missing out. They truly do help you to experience the full spectrum of the human experience. You will leave their classes & retreats physically, emotionally, & spiritually expanded. Once you’ve experienced it, you will understand why there could be no better name for the center than the “comfort zone.” Thank you Ed & Wendy for adding so much to my life & the lives of so many others through your wonderful facility!

The Comfort Zone ­— Center for Whole Self Healing
32191 Nassau Road, Lewes, DE 19958
(302) 645-2334

www.comfortzoneyogacenter.com