The 9 Pillars of Health series: Breath

Breathing: The Overlooked Pillar of Health

Breathing is an automatic action of our body, often taken for granted. We only tend to notice it when our breath quickens in stressful situations, prompting us to try and control or slow it down.

However, ancient civilizations such as yogis, monks, samurai, and indigenous peoples from North and South America understood the profound importance of breath. They practiced controlling, training, and paying close attention to their breathing, recognizing its connection to our psychological state. Stressful situations can cause our breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to spike, while controlled breathing can help restore calm.

Breathing also impacts our health and fitness through lung capacity and CO2 tolerance. As someone who has managed asthma, I’ve always been mindful of my breath. Exercises that improve breathing, particularly those that build CO2 tolerance like swimming, have significantly enhanced my breathing efficiency and reduced my reliance on an inhaler.

In our fast-paced modern life, finding time to slow down and be mindful is challenging. Yet, improving your breathing capacity has no downsides. It fosters self-control, mindfulness, body awareness, and enhances your physiological ability to breathe.

There are numerous ways to work on your breathing, depending on your goals. If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to reach out!