Let’s breathe!
The first movement that every human being makes when he or she comes into this world is the breath. But how much importance do we attach to breathing correctly in later life, and why should we breathe more consciously, which our skin will ultimately thank us for?
Breathing is the transfer of oxygen into the body and the elimination of carbon dioxide from the body, Wikipedia explains in a very technical way, and we can (in)know that (breathing) can also be one of the best methods for stress management from ancient (including Ayurvedic) books. We also know that children breathe a little differently than adults, and interestingly, their ability to grasp and absorb new knowledge can be attributed to this – less stressed and deeper breathing, that is. Adults breathe more shallowly, especially in stressful moments, but because breathing is as much an automatic process as the beating of our heart, we are not even aware of it.
And that is why it is crucial to turn on our consciousness here too and start breathing – consciously. Let’s start by paying attention to how we breathe at all – when we do our daily work, when we walk, when we drive, when we read and when we go to bed. As biochemist and physiotherapist Špela Jakša says, it’s a good idea to breathe through your nose, with your tongue against your upper teeth, if possible (and not, for example, overcome by a hill you’re huffing up :)). (If you want to know more about diaphragmatic breathing or the secrets of optimal breathing, you can watch the video of Spella’s presentation HERE.)
According to Ayurveda, the oldest science of life, proper breathing techniques can also successfully influence our well-being, our calmness and our ability to cope with stress. I personally love it and use it every day, and it is also recommended by the well-known Ayurvedic therapist Dr Claudia Welch, a breathing technique called nadi shodana pranayama (nadi = energy channels, shodana = purification, pranayama = breath control). It is an alternating breathing that balances and balances the pranic flow passing through both nostrils, and above all cleanses the entire network of nadis (energy channels).
You can find out how to implement it HERE, but it is worth noting that yogic breathing techniques are very powerful exercises that can make you feel dizzy as a beginner, so all breathing techniques should be done slowly and not for too long – nadi shodana pranayama, for example, for only five to ten minutes, says Ayurvedic physician Dr Vasant Lad. (I myself was introduced to this pranayama years ago in a Transcendental Meditation course, when the teacher introduced it to us to cope with a headache.)
Ayurvedic guru Dr Vasant Lad on breathing: The physical manifestation of prana is the breath. Breath and mind are closely related. Ayurveda says that breathing is the physical part of thinking and that thinking is the prichological part of breathing. Every thought follows the rhythm of the breath, every breath changes the rhythm of thinking. When we are happy, blissful and quiet, the breath is rhythmic. If it is disturbed by anxiety, fear or nervousness, the breathing is irregular and interrupted. The ancient Vedic prophets (rishis) discovered this intimate connection between breathing and mental activity and revealed the art of pranayama. Pranayama is made up of the words prana and ajam. Ayam means ‘to control’ and prana means ‘breath’. By controlling the breath, we control mental activity (from the book Ayurveda – The Complete Guide to Home Pharmacy).
Well, the sheer power of the conscious – and profound! – I also use the power of breathing to cope with stress. Perhaps that’s why I love yoga, where the emphasis is on breathing correctly while doing asanas, and which I am increasingly replacing my once-daily uphill run with. I especially enjoy savasana, where, in my humble opinion, even the most tense person can really relax. And deep relaxation, as we know (for I believe that we all carry all the necessary answers for our lives within us), is healing not only for the body, but above all for the mind. Well, our soul will be blissful, because it is in a state of total relaxation that we can more easily get in touch with ourselves. And this is where awareness and conscious, deep breathing come in.
Our skin will thank us for deep breathing
Deep breathing flushes excess carbon dioxide out of our bodies (which is what Wikipedia reminded us about in the first place) and replaces it with a rich supply of oxygen, which in turn revitalises our cells. This internal ‘booster’ also improves our circulation and reduces the impact of stress on the skin. (We’ve probably all noticed that our skin also deteriorates during periods of stress, right?) Compared to taking short, shallow breaths (which is how we mostly breathe when we are stressed), our body will just starve itself of this vital nutrient, and this sudden stoppage of oxygen sets off an alarm in our body, leading to an excess of unwanted cortisol (the stress hormone) throughout our body. Full (worthwhile) breathing is therefore all too often overlooked as a pathway to better wellbeing and also appearance.
According to Ayurveda – which has a bunch of other breathing techniques besides the nadi shodana pranayama – well-being and good looks depend on balancing our doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), which in turn depend on keeping in tune with nature. Only then will our inner harmony be visible on our skin. And if we also indulge in a relaxing massage every now and then (I recommend at least once a month), beauty will be a side effect of our appearance.
So let’s start with a conscious and full breath! Every one of the 20,000 or so breaths we take every day is an opportunity to do just that. 🙂
THE NANU RANGE OFFERS PRODUCTS FOR ALL SKIN TYPES AND FOR A COMPLETE FACIAL CARE.
CHECK IT OUT!
