Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises have been used as a healing practice in traditional medicine for thousands of years, and are still widely employed today as a way to promote health and wellbeing. Whether through yoga, martial arts, or simply a relaxation technique, properly controlled breathing can help to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve overall physical and mental wellbeing. Breathing exercises of traditional medicine focus on connection with the breath, which is often seen as a way to connect to the body’s internal energy. This internal energy is believed to be the source of health and balance in the body, and thus proper breathing is believed to be an essential element of traditional medicine. The idea of connection between breath and energy is seen in many traditional medical practices, from Chinese Medicine to Ayurveda. In traditional Chinese Medicine, for example, breathing exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing (also known as abdominal or belly breathing) are often used to help with stress, aid digestion, and promote circulation of energy (also known as qi) throughout the body. Similarly, in Ayurveda, the practice of pranayama (awareness and control of the breath) is believed to reduce stress, balance the nervous system, improve concentration, and support healing. Pranayama focuses on the practice of deep rhythmic breathing which is thought to create a balance between the body and mind. Various traditional practices such as yoga, qigong, and Tai Chi all also emphasize the importance of breathing, and include breathing exercises as part of their practice. They all focus on proper breathing technique, which encourages a full breath that is drawn both deeply from the abdomen and slowly released, as a way of promoting relaxation. In addition to traditional Eastern practices, there are also various forms of Western breathing therapy such as Relaxation Response Training (RRT) that uses a combination of breathing and visualization techniques to help reduce stress and promote relaxation. In summary, breathing exercises can serve as a powerful tool for promoting health and wellbeing. Properly controlled and relaxed breathing is one of the most important aspects of traditional medicine, and a key component of many traditional practices such as yoga, qigong, and Tai Chi. Various Western-style breathing techniques also exist, such as RRT, which suggest that controlled breathing is a useful tool in reducing stress, improving concentration, and promoting healing.