INTRODUCTION

Breathing is a necessity of life that occurs spontaneously without much thought. When we breathe in, blood cells receive oxygen and carbon di-oxide is released when we exhale.  

It is important that we learn the proper way to breathe. Breathing-in is paid much attention and hardly any notice is given to exhalation. Most people do not exhale completely leaving carbon dioxide in the lungs. Correct posture will allow the air to enter, circulate, and pass out of the system without any restriction. Breathing exercises effectively improve our breathing capacity and help to de-stress and stay fit.

BREATHING EXERCISES

Respiratory system is a bridge between the conscious and the sub-conscious, the voluntary and the involuntary. In simple words, it is the bridge between the body and the mind. Breathing exercises involve breathing, with added conditions, to enhance the breathing experience and improve our organs involved in breathing.

The objectives of breathing exercises are

·        Bringing into actions all the lobes of the lungs for full utilization

·        To normalize the respiratory rate

·        Prevent pulmonary impairments

·        Increase the effectiveness of the cough mechanism

·        Improve the strength, endurance, and coordination of respiratory muscles

·      To make breathing uniform, continuous and rhythmic thereby using the voluntary control to change the involuntary functions

Some of the common breathing exercises that we can practice are:-

·        Stretch Breathing

·        Pursed Lip Breathing

·        Diaphragmatic breathing

·        Sectional Breathing

·        Tiger breathing

·        Alternate nostril breathing

·        Humming bee breathing

All of the above exercises can be done anytime, keeping the below points in mind:

·        Be relaxed and on an empty stomach.

·        Sit in comfortable pose with spine upright. Best to be in padmasana (lotus posture).

·        Our inhalation and exhalation should be regular, slow, deep, synchronous, continuous and complete.

·        The fresh, early morning air, in a private space, is ideal. None of these exercises should be done in crowded, polluted, or unhygienic spaces, to avoid drawing germs or viruses deep into our lungs while doing deep breathing.

·        While lung exercises are always good for our health, in chronic disease, always consult the doctor before starting an exercise regime. Remember, it’s necessary to listen to our body.

Regularly doing these practices will help us maintain good health and vitality as they work on both our bodies and minds.

BENEFITS OF BREATHING EXERCISES

While its benefits are uncountable, here are some important ones:

Improves immunity-Breathing exercises increase the amount of oxygen in the body and the release of toxins and carbon dioxide. Increased oxygen in the cells and tissues makes them healthier and help them perform better. A cleaner, toxin-free and healthier blood supply ensures smoother functioning of our vital organs, including the immune system, which fights better against infectious bacteria and viruses. Furthermore, it improves the absorption of vitamins and nutrients in the body, making sure we recover faster from disease.

Clams down anxiety & Natural painkiller- When we   are angry, tensed or scared, our muscles are tightened and our breathing becomes shallow. At this time our body is not getting the amount of oxygen it requires. Long deep breathing reverses this process, helps in bringing heart rate to normal and increase oxygen levels. This helps in giving the brain the signal to unwind, allowing our body and mind to become calmer. It also balances our hormones- lowering down cortisol levels, increasing endorphin rush in the body, which are the feel good hormones and natural pain killer.

Increases sleep quality- Breathing exercises that entails complete exhalation of the air out provides better sleep. Taking slow, deep, long breaths can signal our body to detoxify and return to a sense of calm- which can help us sleep better. Practicing breathing exercises, along with meditation before bedtime can help people suffering from insomnia as well.

Improves digestive system- Breathing exercises supplies more oxygen to all our body parts including our digestive system, thus making it work more efficiently thereby relieving from any gastrointestinal issues, constipation, indigestion, etc. The increased blood flow due to deep breathing also encourages intestinal action which further improves your overall digestion. In addition, deep breathing results in a calmer nervous system, which in turn enhances optimal digestion.

Decreases toxicity of the body- Diseases like cancer only thrive in bodies that are acidic in nature. Stress, eating habits, and shallow exhalation turns the body acidic.  With breathing exercises, all the toxins are released which alkalize our body.  Carbon dioxide is a natural toxic waste that comes out from our body only through breathing. But when our lungs are compromised by shallow breathing, the other detoxification system starts working harder to expel this waste. This can make our body weaker and lead to illness. Furthermore, breathing exercises ensures proper lymphatic flow so that our body can work more efficiently.

Good for cardiovascular health - Breathing exercises will help strengthen the cardiovascular muscles, improve blood pressure and also decreases the chances of stroke. Deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for regulating heart rate, blood flow, breathing, and digestion. Therefore, breathing exercises helps to avoid the "fight-or-flight" response.

Improve concentration and cognitive properties- Regular breathing exercises can improve focus and concentration. It also improves memory, cognitive properties and brain functioning.

Gives healthy and glowing skin - Breathing exercises increase the oxygen concentration in cells, burn fat and help to balance hormones which results in clear, healthy and glowing skin.

 Helps sinusitis - Yogic breathing practices can help in sinusitis as the vibrations produced in this exercise dislodge all mucous and drain the sinuses.

Makes the body and joints strong - Breathing exercises increase the oxygen level in the cells and it affects joints in a good way. It makes joints and muscles strong. Body’s ability to handle intense physical movement increases.

Strengthen lungs- Just like aerobic exercises help improve the health of the heart, breathing exercises can make the lungs function more efficiently. Breathing exercises are a great way to strengthen the diaphragm and to train the body to engage the lungs to breathe more deeply and efficiently. When practiced regularly, they help make the lungs more elastic and active by removing stale air that would've accumulated in different corners of the lungs due to inefficient breathing. All of this improves our energy levels and makes us more active as each cell in the body gets the oxygen it needs to function. The oxygen that reaches our lungs pumps the blood with essential nutrients. Lung health is important, even more so with a pandemic that affects the respiratory tract, therefore having healthy lungs will surely help us survive the pandemic better.

Increases energy level- Breathing exercises enables the erythrocytes to pick up sufficient oxygen from the lungs and transport it to the body's tissues. Increased oxygen results in increased energy level. This is important because an adequate supply of oxygen is vital if the organs are to function properly.

Increases Nitric oxides expression- Nitric oxide (NO) is a key biological messenger playing an important role in various biological processes at the cellular level. Nitric oxide is anti-inflammatory and contributes to nonspecific host defense against bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic infections, hence takes care of infection in the body. It has been observed that Nitric Oxide Synthase reduces the yield of progeny virus by 82% thus by virtue of its anti-viral effect reduces the replication of corona virus. Furthermore, Nitric oxide improves ventilation–perfusion ratio in the lung along with relaxation of bronchial tree smooth muscles, hence oxygen uptake is increased and provides relief in bronchial asthma and various respiratory ailments.

It has been proved by studies that humming increases the endogenous generation of NO level by 15-fold as compared with the quite exhalation. The gas exchanges in the sinus takes place in every single exhalation while humming, as compared to quiet breathing, where it takes 5 min to 30 min for exchange of air in sinuses. This is as a consequence of oscillating sound wave which affects the air exchange in the sinus. NO acts as a sonic cleanser which cures the infection of the respiratory tract. Humming exercise also increases the vital capacity. Humming bee breathing (Bhramari pranayama) by enhancing the expression of NO and increased Carbon dioxide by extended exhalation and alkaline pH  also  prevents coagulopathies and morbidity due to  various infections like Covid-19.

BREATHING EXERCISES DURING COVID-19

Labelled as a black swan event, the outbreak of Covid-19 has had a detrimental effect on global healthcare systems with a ripple effect on every aspect of human life. Covid-19 has heightened human suffering, undermined the economy, turned the lives of billions of people around the globe upside down, and hence significantly affected the health (physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing), economic, environmental and social domains.

Keeping our lungs healthy is particularly important in these times as the novel coronavirus primarily attacks the lungs and our respiratory system, resulting in breathing problems and, in severe cases, pneumonia. Certain groups of people are at higher risk of getting seriously sick from Covid-19. Older adults and people who have other health conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes may have more serious symptoms. Additionally, if you smoke, you're one of them.

Scientists have sequenced a new “double variant” of the coronavirus first identified in India – along with a handful of other variants of concern that appeared during the ferocious second wave of the virus since the pandemic began. Evidence is growing that  new variants, might be associated with reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduced efficacy of treatments, potential diagnostic impact, or predicted increase in transmissibility or disease severity.

As an increasing number of people, including doctors, test positive for COVID-19 even after vaccination, experts hint at the possible increase in risk-taking behavior. As explained by the Peltzman Effect, in the case of COVID-19, vaccines are giving a sense of security, which has led to an increase in risky behavior which includes low adherence to preventive measures like mask usage, social distancing and frequent sanitization. It’s important for us to take steps to protect ourselves from the new coronavirus.

A wholesome antioxidant-rich diet, regular exercise, and good posture allowing deep breaths, all contribute to healthy lungs. Breathing exercises is an effective way to improve our breathing capacity, maintain lung function, reduce the risk of respiratory infections and de-stress ourselves. With right breathing we develop good immunity and the mental resilience needed to deal with this pandemic.

Emphasizing the importance of mindful breathing, our beloved Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba, has explained that, “The Divine principle is enshrined in every breath of man in the form of ‘Soham’. The breath going in as inhalation is ‘So’, which is one’s real form. The breath going out as exhalation is ‘Ham’, the ego or the false identity. Therefore, we should discard the outgoing ‘Ham’ and hold on to the life-giving ‘So’.”

It is the need of the hour to incorporate the breathing exercises in our daily routine for our physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

 Jai Sai Ram