Learn Breathing Relaxation

There are many uses for breathing aside from the physiological need to breathe. Breathing is used to maintain the physiology of the lungs and all the other vital organs in the body.

Breathing can be used to control pain which can be commonly seen as the varied breathing techniques for labor pain control. Lastly, breathing is used to induce relaxation.

Many people do not try to learn breathing relaxation because they do not see the importance. The significance of this activity will be better understood if the same people tried to understand the physiology of breathing.

Breathing is essential because it allows the intake of oxygen and the outflow of carbon dioxide. The oxygen that is inhaled will be transported to the bloodstream and ultimately be delivered to the various organs that need it. Without oxygen, the body which usually works on aerobic mechanism will resort to functioning under anaerobic mechanism. Unlike aerobic mechanism which produces energy, anaerobic mechanism produces lactic acid. The build-up of lactic acid causes the pain that people feel when they have a heart attack or when they have exercised too much.

Under stress, people’s vital signs tend to increase to meet the increased metabolic demands brought about by stress itself. The heart rate increases, the blood pressure increases, and the respiratory rate increases. During stress, however, people tend to breathe in a more rapid and shallow manner called hypoventilation. A great danger that can be experienced with hypoventilation is that carbon dioxide is not released from the body. When carbon dioxide builds up within the body, the condition called respiratory acidosis results. The symptoms of such a condition can be manifested as disorientation. Changes in the mental status of a person, is often the first sign. Hypoxemia or decreased oxygen in the blood is another manifestation. Other signs and symptoms are increased blood pressure, headache, muscle weakness, and increased cardiac output.

In order to avoid this situation and to reduce the stress at the same time, one has to create a balance between the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the body. The body has to return to its equilibrium state called homeostasis. But the question many people ask is how to return to homeostasis in times of stress? The answer is to learn breathing relaxation.
There are various techniques to attain relaxation from breathing exercises. The most common technique used in many health institutions is through deep breathing. When a person breathes deeply, the lungs are being exercised to expand to its maximum capacity, this is healthy. When a person deep breathes, his or her attention is diverted towards the breathing. When the attention is focused on the breathing, the person is able to relax. More oxygen will be delivered to the muscles and hence reduce the tension. Once breathing is controlled, all other responses are controlled. The heart doesn’t have to pump more blood to deliver oxygen because it is already sufficient. When the heart isn’t increasing in activity, the blood pressure drops as well.

You can benefit so much when you take the time to learn breathing relaxation. Whenever you feel the anxiety boil up, you don’t need to panic. Just pace yourself, breathe deeply, until you attain a sense of peace. Not only is this helpful to reduce stress, it is also essential to lead a healthy life!