Breath Awareness and You: An Osteopathic Approach
Your body is performing a countless number of tasks at any given moment, most of which go unnoticed. Breathing can be one of these unconscious processes, but sometimes our breath comes into our awareness – often when it is troubled. Sometimes we have pain on a deep inhale, or feel out of breath, or experience congestion or cough during illness or allergies. Many of these obvious problems are short-lived, but what about the less apparent restrictions? We all know about the need for oxygen, but there are many other ways our breathing impacts our bodies – and a few ways that you can impact your breath!
Are You Focused on Breath Awareness?
Breathing is a somewhat unique bodily function in the sense that is occurs constantly without our awareness – but it can also be under our control. When you are working, visiting a friend, or driving in traffic, it is likely that you are not focused on your breath – but it is still happening and adapting. Maybe something at work is stressful and you notice - wow, I’ve been holding my breath for a while; your friend has shared some exciting news and your breathing becomes faster; the car in front of you slams on the breaks and you gasp with shock. These are visible ways we can notice our breath reacting to our environment, but let’s consider some of the sneakier ways our habits can affect our breathing.
Posture and Breath Awareness
How are you positioned right now? Sitting at a computer with your head forward towards the screen, maybe chin resting on your hand? Or standing with phone in hand and neck flexed looking down? Maybe you are lying in bed with your head propped up on some pillows? All of these positions affect the upper airway and add just a little bit of strain. Are you slumping forward with the ribcage resting on the abdomen? Are you standing with your weight on one leg and the other slightly turned out to the side? Are your knees locked, hips forward, and back a little tight? All of these little things add just a bit more restriction to your breath too. What happens when you take a deep breath in right now? Did you open your mouth to do it? Did your shoulders lift up towards your ears? Did your belly expand at all? Did you notice any effort coming from your back? Was it difficult, or easy?
Breathing affects your whole body, and in some ways, your whole body can affect your breathing. Making efforts to slightly slow our breath, to expand the ribcage, or stabilize the core and open our airways can tell our body that we are safe. These conscious changes have the potential to improve our day-to-day existence in ways you might not believe! Headaches, jaw pain, face tension, neck strain, and tight shoulders – all of these discomforts could be reduced through improved breathing mechanics. Blood pressure, heartburn, and constipation are also affected by diaphragm activity!
Conscious Breathing and Breath Awareness
Anxiety, mental stress, and emotions – can all be impacted through conscious breathwork. The benefits of healthy breathing are countless.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we experience discomfort with changing some of these postures or habits. In many cases, this is a muscular or skeletal problem, which can be addressed through manual therapy. If you are experiencing any of the issues listed in this article, and would like some help improving your well-being, an appointment with your osteopathic manual practitioner could be what you’re looking for!
How We Help
Instill Therapies is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and serves clients who want to regain hope, comfort, mobility, and health through hands-on care and treatment plans. Through osteopathic services, we can help you improve your healthy breathing!