Imagine a remedy that can quickly and permanently reduce stress levels, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, strengthen the lungs, and promote the release of happiness hormones.. What if we say that such a tool is completely free and has no side effects?

It may sound too good to be true, but such a recipe really exists, and every person has access to it at any time of the day or night..

We're not talking about some magic pill or healing powder.. We're talking about breathing.

Therapeutic potential of controlled breathing.

MD and pulmonologist Michael J. Stephen has seen the benefits of controlled breathing for physical and mental health from personal experience and from patients with lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma..

In his book Breathing: The Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future of Our Amazing Lungs, Stephen describes how we control our breath and how our breath controls us..

From a physical standpoint, Steven says, slow, deep belly breathing is beneficial because it engages the diaphragm and allows the body to take in more oxygen..

Belly breathing is the foundation of many breathing techniques as it helps maintain ventilation-perfusion balance.. “Once air enters our body, the blood must be in the right place to receive oxygen.. At the bottom of the diaphragm, due to gravity, circulation is much better. If we don't use a diaphragm, we are blocking oxygen from getting to where perfusion (blood circulation) is best,” explains Steven..

Mentally, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, providing a calming effect.. “Our brain receives a signal that we can calm down. We take slow and deep breaths, which means that everything is fine, ”says Stephen.

Proper breathing gives us the above benefits in a relatively short period of time.. The key is to do it regularly..

Steven recommends starting with one minute of slow, controlled breathing each day, and gradually increasing the time..

If you manage to devote 3 to 5 minutes to this activity every day, you will soon notice changes for the better..

How to choose a breathing practice.

An Internet search will give you a huge number of popular breathing practices.. Many of these, such as the 4-7-8 technique, involve taking a set number of seconds to inhale, hold, and exhale.. Nevertheless, Steven believes that here you can easily improvise and adjust any technique for yourself, based on your goals and needs..

An example scheme to follow:.

•Inspiration - the first digit - increases the level of oxygen that enters the body. If you are looking for a more energetic technique, you can slightly increase the time.

• Breath holding - the second digit - activates the diaphragm and promotes gas exchange. If you want to increase lung capacity for sports or suffer from lung problems, you can slightly increase the time.

• And finally, exhale - the last digit - carbon dioxide is released, a by-product. The time for this part of the exercise is usually either equal to or slightly longer than the inhalation time.. If it is slightly increased, then this will contribute to relaxation and detoxification..

Steven himself starts every morning with his personalized 5-2-7 breathing technique to help him focus, clear his mind and maintain lung health..

“I do it best in the morning, so immediately after waking up, I devote 5 minutes of breathing practice, and then do yoga to properly set myself up for the whole day,” says the pulmonologist.

If he feels tired and needs a boost of energy, he takes quick and energetic inhalations and exhalations, which serve as a kind of " “I do these breaths in and out for 30 seconds and then go back to my usual 5-2-7 technique,” \u200b\u200badds Steven..

If you need to relax - perhaps with a longer exhalation - you can do this before bed.. The advantage of breathing techniques lies in the fact that they can all be adapted and adjusted individually for yourself..

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