Every day we average 20,000 breaths. Imagine doing any exercise that many times: 20,000 squats; 20,000 pushups; 20,000 pullups. Even 20,000 steps is a lot. You would think that with this much practice, we would all be expert breathers. Unfortunately, breathing is one of the most common dysfunctional patterns that we do on a daily basis. Breathing poorly not only has wide reaching effects on our physiology, but also alters our psychological well being. In this post we will dive into the mechanics of the breath, look at it's power to transform health, and consider breathing from the Chinese medical perspective.
Breath of Life
Our independence as humans really begins with our first breath of air. At this point we are no longer reliant on our mother's blood for oxygen. From this moment on we are completely self-contained, albeit helpless, creatures. However, the muscles involved in breathing are developed in the womb long before birth, as fetuses practice the movement with amniotic fluid instead of air.
The primary muscle for inhalation is the diaphragm. It lines the bottom of the ribcage and has ligamentous attachments to the lumbar vertebra. The diaphragm resembles an umbrella with a central tendon that allows it to move downward when it contracts and upwards when it lengthens. The muscle is composed of half fast twitch and half slow twitch fibers, allowing it to work consistently throughout the day without fatigue and aggressively during times of high oxygen demand.
We also have accessory breathing muscles that aid the function of the diaphragm--the intercostal muscles, transverse, oblique and rectus abdominal muscles, and trapezius muscles--but they cannot replace it. The when the diaphragm contracts, it actually increases the volume of the thoracic cavity, creating a temporary vacuum in the lungs that draws in air. The better the diaphragm contracts and relaxes, the more air that can be exchanged.
Babies and very small children are almost all diaphragmatic dominant breathers. If you watch them closely you will see that their bellies move out during inhalations (as the diaphragm descends and pushes the contents of the abdominal cavity out) and in during exhalations. However, kids will start to unconsciously imitate the breathing patterns of the adults and older children they are around. If that pattern is dysfunctional then the children will begin to copy it.
Broken Breath
Dysfunctional breathing is anything that impedes the full range of motion of the diaphragm. The most common example of this is someone whose belly goes out, or doesn't move, during exhalations, and goes inward during inhalations. This forces the accessory muscles to do more of the work, produces the sensation of chest breathing, and fights the diaphragm's natural mode of operation. You can identify this pattern when someone's shoulders rise first when they take an inbreath.
A non-ideal breathing pattern commonly leads to further dysfunction the longer it persists. The chest-breathing pattern is not optimal for inflating the lower lobes of the lungs because the air is not being drawn deeply into the thoracic cavity and the contents in the lower lungs are not being fully expressed upward. This can lead to increased respiratory infections, accumulation of sputum and lung irritants, and a higher incidence of asthma. The fact that less air is being exchanged in the lungs will result in a lower blood oxygen level and hyperventilation. Because the chest-breather is taking less full breaths, they are forced to take more of them, resulting in the release of more carbon dioxide gas, which can drive up the pH of the blood.
When working properly, the diaphragm acts to massage the organs in the abdomen including the intestines, liver, and stomach. This slow and rhythmic pressure facilitates the flow of food, bile, and blood through the digestive system. When the diaphragm is constricted by improper breathing, it no longer performs this function optimally and can also develop muscle knots and spasms. These spasms can create a host of issues ranging from mild (burping and hiccups) to severe (hiatal hernia).
Breath Power
The moment the breath is reset to a diaphragmatic dominant pattern changes start to occur. Blood pressure drops. The parasympathetic branch of the nervous system is stimulated. Digestion resumes smoothly. Feelings of anxiety and tension begin to dissipate.
Luckily, changing the breath is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1) Put one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Exhale fully, and on your next inhale see if you can make the hand on you belly move out before the hand on your chest does. Good breathing will begin in the belly and then rise upwards to the chest.
2) On the exhale reverse the pattern so that the air flows out of the top of the chest first and then from deeper in the lungs. The belly should move inward during this process and the shoulders should drop.
3) Repeat forever.
All joking aside, this will take deliberate practice at first, but will quickly become more and more instinctual. During times of high stress, poor sleep, and strenuous activity, the breathing pattern may involuntarily regress. Tell-tale signs that this is happening will be tightness in the chest, palpitations, upset stomach, cough, pain the rib area, and shoulder, back, or neck pain. If you are able to observe this process unfolding, you can take a few correct breaths to begin to reset it. Getting an acupuncture or massage treatment is also highly effective.
One quick note on nose vs. mouth breathing. Breathing in and out, slowly, through the nose, with exhalations slightly longer than inhalations, is ideal. If you are unable to do this, work towards it. Air moving in and out of the nose will actually stimulate the production of nitrous oxide which will vasodilate the vessels of the nose and help it to remain open. Devoted nose breathers will seek to breath through their nose even during vigorous exercise and during sleep. Some even utilize tape to close their mouths at night.
Breathe Like the Chinese
In Chinese medicine, the qingqi is the air that enters the Lungs. The qingqi is transformed into zongqi, or Gathering Qi of the Chest, in the Lungs. The Chinese recognized that the Lungs played a pivotal role in the circulation of qi and blood in the Heart and vessels. They also recognized that the Lungs were easily susceptible to disease and called them fragile organs.
The inbreath is said to be a function of the Kidneys "grasping" the air. This is a direct parallel to the diaphragm being connected to the lumbar, the root of the Kidneys. The outbreath is linked to the strength of the Lungs and their ability to expel air. Appropriate breathing according the Chinese resembles the breathing pattern discussed earlier. These are important considerations when diagnosing specific patterns of lung dysfunction and can lead to completely different treatments.
The Lung is also responsible for controlling the pores of the skin, where pathogens like wind, cold, and heat are said to enter. The weiqi, or Defensive Qi, guards the pores (akin to the immune system) and it is created by the Lungs. It follows that our ability to resist sickness is then directly linked to the vigor of our Lung qi.
Conclusion
Breathing is the most fundamental component of life. We can live four weeks without food and four days without water, but only four minutes without air. The breath is our conscious link to the unconscious self. It is one of the few tools that we have always at our finger tips. We need only remember to slow down and intentionally breath to make a difference. As we fully embrace the Fall, the season of the Lung (the metal element) it is essential that we focus on our breath, allowing our inhales to flow smoothly into our exhales, and vice versa. The cycle of the breath continues onward in perfect balance.
Additional Resources
Breath. James Nestor. https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/
The Oxygen Advantage. Patrick McKeown. https://oxygenadvantage.com/
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