How well do you breathe?

Do you even know?

Or is breathing something you do completely unconsciously, letting your autonomic nervous system supply you with oxygen however it sees fit?

The majority of people do not breathe well.

Sure, they get enough air to get through life, but not enough to feel alive and vital in every moment.

Not enough to stay mentally and physically well.

We live in a world of stress-driven, sedentary-shallow chest breathers.

What do these species have in common?

They get sick often, they feel stressed a lot of the time, they may even be a few kilos heavier than they’d like.

And most of all they lack the energy required to live a life full of rich and colourful experiences.

Like the wind circulates air throughout our planet’s atmosphere, our breath circulates air throughout our body’s atmosphere, cleansing, oxygenating and alkalizing every cell of our bodies.

Air is our most vital food.

It is what nourishes us.

Shallow breathing causes a build up of carbon dioxide in the blood, which causes the blood to become acidic.

Acidic blood leads to sickness in the body.

Our bodies are designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing.

If you’re not breathing effectively, you’re not ridding your body of its toxins, putting stress on other systems in your body.

When you breathe deep into your belly you help the body release tension.

If you’re feeling stressed, angry or scared your muscles get tight and constrict the inflow of oxygen.

Simply focusing on your breath can often be enough to relieve that negative emotion.

Oxygen also keeps our brain clear and sharp.

If you’re starving for oxygen spend this week focusing on breathing deep into your diaphragm.

When you do, it actually massages your organs; your stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas.

The upper movement of the diaphragm even massages your heart!

And if all of that wasn’t enough to encourage you to breathe more deeply, the extra oxygen burns up excess fat.

Yes ladies and gents, deep breathing even helps with weight loss!

Not sure where to start?

Put your hands on your stomach.

Inhale through your nose right down to your diaphragm for a count of four, feeling your belly expand.

Hold for a moment.

Then exhale fully over a count of four.

This is something you can practise while driving, in a queue or during sex!

Breathing deep is the one of the key components to experiencing multi and full body orgasms!

Yes, really.

As Taoist leader Mantak Chia wrote: ‘The breath is the gate through which we gain control of our body’.

It helps us be more present and connect more deeply with ourselves and our experiences.

So use your breath to nourish your mind, body and soul and notice how vital and alive you feel.

If you’d like to learn more about how to use breathe to nourish you and help you tap into your please, check out Yoga for the Vagina; a yoga practice for women that includes specific sequences focused on connecting you to your breath.