The Breathing Gurus Have Got It Wrong! Four Common Myths About Breathing

It seems like every time you read about a health issue in a magazine or website lately some alternative health guru is giving out breathing instructions. These can range from the totally ludicrous to the simply misinformed. Much breathing advice is a perfect example of misguided information that "sounds" right and gets repeated so many times that it takes on the ring of truth. This is how myths are formed.

The only thing true about common breathing beliefs is that breathing is indeed a marvellous healing tool - when done naturally and correctly. So it's especially sad that so much of what passes for sound advice can often do more harm than good. Here are four of the most common misconceptions about breathing:

"Deep breathing exercises are beneficial" Deep breathing is probably the most popular advice to be heard on this issue. Unfortunately, the way these exercises are described will only lead to hyperventilation, not improved health. The symptoms include dizziness, light-headedness, confusion, and nausea. And to imagine that this is the most common advice given to relieve panic attacks!

"We don't get enough oxygen" Shallow breathing high in the chest supposedly robs us of oxygen. But, fortunately, we get more than enough oxygen. In fact, we're more often oxygen saturated and what we really need is to slow down and get more carbon dioxide!

Users of the Buteyko Method have convincingly debunked the oxygen depletion myth by applying this principle in the treatment of asthma. Slow breathing to lower high blood pressure works on a similar basis that is clinically proven.

"Inhale to a count to 4, pause for 2 seconds, then exhale... (and all similar)" Typical breathing instructions include some variant of a counting procedure. Counting your breathing is counter-productive! Every benefit to be derived from healthy breathing demands total relaxation and there's no way to relax while counting. The same goes for following any type of external timekeeper.

"You must breathe with your abdomen" This is usually accompanied by an explanation that babies breathe naturally with their abdomen and that somewhere along the way we've been corrupted into breathing with our chests. This is one of those things that "seems" so convincing. Until you really think about it. The reason we don't breathe like babies any more is because we've developed into adults!

Most activities require chest breathing and the only time when abdominal breathing is appropriate is in a state of deep relaxation. Abdominal breathing, in fact, can be very beneficial but it follows naturally from a healthy and natural form of breathing.

You can easily find a lot more breathing silliness such as breathing through one nostril and out the other but these are absurdities that don't need comment. They mostly have to do with over-complication.

Complicated or exotic breathing methods may be great challenges for yoga or meditation but are unsuitable for most purposes. They can be especially off-putting for the uninitiated who could most benefit from an easy and rational breathing method.

Simple, healthy breathing comes naturally, despite what some say. Using a simple, natural form of breathing as described below while relaxing for 15 minutes a day is clinically proven to produce a wide range of important health benefits.

Natural, healthy breathing is slow and gentle. Easy does it!

"Deep breathing" is a dangerous and misleading description that usually does more harm than good. A better way to visualize healthy breathing is "slow and gentle". You should forget about getting more oxygen, which you don't need at rest, and focus on breathing more slowly. Slow breathing is the key to health. When you do slow breathing 10 breaths per minute is the absolute maximum and with practice you should be able to get down to 6 breaths a minute.

The second key word is "gently". Breathing gently helps slow you down, relaxes you and also prevents hyperventilation.

Timing is crucial - but don't count on it!

Your breathing pattern is just as important as the rate. You should exhale for approximately twice as long as you inhale. A short pause of a second or two between phases is natural. But there's absolutely no need to count or follow a timekeeper! It's simply not possible to relax deeply while counting or focusing on time. Staying relaxed is far more important than precision timing.

Besides, your internal clock can easily figure it close enough and keep you on the right cycle. Just internalise the formula: inhale, pause, exhale twice as long as inhale. It's easy!

The emphasis is obviously on exhaling. When you exhale relax into it totally and let the air pressure expel itself instead of using muscular force. If you do it right you should feel an incredible release of tension in your chest. This is what opens up blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.

Abdominal breathing - it's only natural

Abdominal breathing is very healthy while relaxing but it follows naturally as a result of slow and gentle breathing. For some people it comes quickly and easily; for others it takes longer. But to try to instill it right off the bat is to put the cart before the horse. It only disturbs the relaxation you need to benefit from this type of breathing in the first place.

So don't worry about abdominal breathing. Follow my easy breathing method for 15 minutes a day and you'll be breathing like a baby again without even realizing it. You'll also discover lower blood pressure, lower levels of stress and anxiety, improved sleep, better moods and any other of the many health benefits that come from the power that lies hidden in your breathing.