The Importance of Belly Breathing

Do you know that in moments of stress we breathe high up in our chests?

If you are living your life always on the go, always thinking, always figuring things out, you most likely are breathing shallow breaths high up in your chest. Your body may be in fight-or-flight mode because of this stressful lifestyle. Your anxiety may be high. Your adrenals may be fatigued. Your doctor may have told you that your thyroid is off balance. Have you considered belly breathing? 

Scientifically, when we breathe using our belly and diaphragm rather than high up in our chests, we are engaging our parasympathetic nervous system. This breathing tells our bodies that it is okay to relax. That there is no imminent threat. Our body can then begin to release the stress and return to self-healing.

Additionally, when we bring our focus to our belly, we bring our attention inward to what our inner wisdom is trying to reveal to us. We feel inspired, we feel calm, and we feel a sense of peace. We come back to the knowing that everything will be okay. Everything is working out for us. Everything is working in our favor.