Breathe Like You Were Born To
Introduction to Diaphragmatic Breathing
Origins of Deep Breathing
Do you have a baby? Watch your kid while he/she sleeps. Notice how the belly rises and expands laterally. We are born nurturing a deep connection between motor control and breathing. Throughout the phases of motor development, the child experiments breathing in different levels of difficulty, in different positions. It all happens at a subconscious level. The babies are excellent breathers and movers at an early childhood stage. The system starts falling into dysfunction when social and cultural influences begin to kick in.
Let us dive into the nitty-gritty.
The breathing process is automatic, therefore not controlled by the Frontal Cortex. Our breathing influences the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), more specifically the Parasympathetic Nervous System. There is a shitload of processes causing [and affected by] breathing, and I won’t even pretend to know half of them. What matters to us is what we can change to live better.
The Autonomic Nervous System consists of two different parts:
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
These parts of the brain are excited and relaxed regardless of our decisions. Quite the opposite, they deeply affect how our bodies behave. So we need to know a few mechanisms before we move forward.
While it is important to activate the SNS for survival, it is not ideal to live in it daily. But that’s not what we see today. The constant activity of the SNS cascades several hormonal processes that unbalance the body. In a situation where you need to fight for your life or even during physical exercise, the sympathetic nervous system is imperative. However, in other situations, the opposite should be the case.
Shifting back to our initial discussion, as we beautifully glide into second childhood and adolescence, cultural influences hammer our heads constantly. Bullying, ideal body image, social acceptance, stupid decisions, they all cause us to develop vices and dysfunctions in breathing and movement patterns. I won’t even get into technology and social media’s share of guilt in this phenomenon.
Very well, by some extraordinary cause, we develop an unnatural breathing pattern through the chest. While it helps in the breathing process, the upper trunk muscles play a secondary role, activating the SNS when it shouldn’t. Chest breathing can be a significant contribution to undiagnosed pain in several places, along with the onset of Anxiety and Depression, among other disorders. Also, chest breathing correlates to high levels of Cortisol. What a shit show!
Well, guess what inhibits these processes, returning the nervous system to a state of relaxation, where chemical processes happen efficiently and restore hormonal balance? Yes, Diaphragmatic Breathing. Babies can teach us so much.
The Role of the Diaphragm
Hello, Diaphragm! The most important muscle when we breathe. However, not the only one. The Diaphragm muscle contraction is responsible for controlling the pressure inside the body, allowing the lungs to expand and retract in the breathing process. Guess what happens when the Diaphragm doesn’t function properly? Exactly, breathing get’s compromised, resorting to other muscles to help in the process.
Now, this fantastic muscle is also responsible for other incredible functions of the body. The first one is its effect on the activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. Several studies show a substantial correlation between engaging in deep breathing exercises and restoring the body into a “rest and digest” mode. By reeducating the way we breathe, we are capable of balancing hormonal discrepancies in the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary Gland, one of the main areas for hormone secretion.
And last but not least, the importance of Diaphragmatic Breathing for structural stability. We all know that stability in the mid-section of the body is the root of strength, right? That, our expression of strength irradiates from the center to the extremities. By engaging in diaphragmatic breathing we stimulate the deep abdominal and lumbar muscles. This communication occurs through intra-abdominal pressure generated in deep breathing. If you want to lift heavy weights overhead, you need an effective mid-section. This is only achievable sustainably, by having a strong and efficient diaphragmatic activity.
In the complimentary video, I demonstrate a few aspects of diaphragmatic breathing and a few examples of exercises.
The exercises in the video are ideal for a beginner, a person who does not have the habit of practicing diaphragmatic breathing. For progressions, I do touch on a few points. You can increase the difficulty by lengthening the body, by demanding more from your mid-section muscles, or by taking out the mechanical feedback component.
Soon, I will be releasing a continuation of these breathing exercises and other progressions into more complex movements. I hope you like the content. If you think this content may be beneficial for someone you know, please share the newsletter. Let them know about this information. The more we distribute education in movement, the better for all of us.
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Strength to you!
