Stress of any kind, emotional, mental or physical, like slouching while seated can switch on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) - our ‘fright and flight’ response. This switches of the nerves that communicate with the diaphragm (main breathing muscles in the abdomen) and passes the responsibility for breathing to muscles around our neck and shoulders causing faulty breathing. This has a big influence, as we take approximately 19-24000 breaths per day!
It can cause our head to protrude forward, shoulders to slump, making our neck and shoulders and lower back sore and painful.
It also causes crowding of our organs, adversely affecting digestion, elimination and the health of our organs.
To reset your breathing, you must start by training yourself to breath with the diaphragm.
The best place to start is lying on your back, knees bent, focusing on slow, smooth breaths, the same length in and out. Put one hand on your abdomen, and the other on your chest, make sure your chest hand stays still. Start with just 5 minutes, and 1 inch tummy movement (up and down), and build up slowly towards 15 minutes and 5 inches (up and down).
This will help improve your posture, your energy levels, rest, repair and digest – improving your overall well being.
Tune in to part 5 next week to find out how sleep can help to supercharge your health!
good lesson