Deep Breathing Benefits. We have all heard the phrase, “take a deep breath and relax”. Perhaps during times of meditation, yoga or maybe someone is just telling you to calm down.

Either way it is heard often, but why?
Why is deep breathing the answer?

Well I decided to find out and here is what I found.

First of all, deep breathing constitutes as breathing in from the diaphragm, not the chest.

When the deep breath is created in the diaphragm, it helps to enlarge its velocity, allowing the organ to expand to a wider range. It then engages the abdomen and the lungs on each deep breath, almost massaging these muscles.

When you breathe in a shallow way, the diaphragm’s range of motion is very limited and doesn’t engage the entire lung.

Since most of your lung’s smaller blood vessels reside in the lower portion of the lung, deep breathing from the diaphragm engages this area and promotes the distribution of more oxygenated blood.

An increase in oxygenated blood flow has been shown to slow down your heartbeat and as well as lower blood pressure, causing you to feel more relaxed.

This form of breathing has also been shown to lift depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders.

Inhaling more oxygen decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in your system helping to eliminate toxins.

Since having too much carbon dioxide in your blood can lead to fatigue, mental fog and even decrease tissue function, having more oxygen is definitely beneficial.

So its true what they say, “take a deep breath and relax”.

Do you have any deep breathing exercises you can share? Leave a comment below!