Did You Know?, Poor breathing habits can create stiffness in your thoracic spine (upper back) and tension in your neck and shoulders!

Did You Know?, Poor breathing habits can create stiffness in your thoracic spine (upper back) and tension in your neck and shoulders!

Did you know that the way you breathe has an enormous impact on your physical and mental health. Our breath is one of our greatest assets in life - it can just as easily bring us into a state of calm as it can into a state of panic. 

Most people take very little notice of their breath throughout the day, but it is actually one of the easiest ways to bring a little extra calmness into your day. When we are aware of our breath, we have the opportunity to slow it down and take fuller, deeper breaths. This in-turn slows down our heart rate, lowers blood pressure and helps to calm our nervous system.

Babies are born with the natural ability to breathe into their bellies, and as adults we should still be doing this! Unfortunately most people don't breathe this way - stress, anxiety and sucking in your belly can cause you to take shorter, shallower breaths. 

This results in less oxygenated blood being transported around your body and less carbon dioxide being expelled from your body.
When we are stressed or anxious we tend to breathe more in our chests, however our bodies just aren't designed to do this. Chest breathing causes us to overuse the muscles around our neck and shoulders - resulting in pain and tension in this area. It may also create stiffness in our thoracic spine (upper back) due to lack of movement from the expansion and contraction that occurs when we take a full breath.

When ever you get a moment (or make time for a moment) stop and pay attention to which parts of your body your breath naturally wants to flow to. After a few moments of simple observation, place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. As you inhale try to send your breath to your belly and notice your hand gently moving up. As you exhale gently draw your navel towards your spine, expelling a full breath. The hand on your chest shouldn't be moving at all.

Give it a go for a few minutes and see how you feel. Initially it may seem strange or hard, give yourself time and kindness and soon it will feel more natural. .. 

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