These are strange and challenging times, indeed. What can we do when difficult emotions rise up within us - anxiety, fear, anger, panic? One answer is always available to you, anywhere and at any time. Breathing.
Shallow breathing limits the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest portion of the lungs - which is where many small blood vessels instrumental in carrying oxygen to your body's cells reside - never gets a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious. Mindful, deep breathing encourages full oxygen exchange - the trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. It slows the heartbeat, lowers or stabilizes blood pressure, settles the nervous system and provides an almost immediate sense of calm.
In this short TED talk, breath work teacher Max Strom offers wisdom about the healing power of breathing.
