Breathing + Connection

Wanna bet that everyone who is reading this is also breathing?  Sounds like a safe one, but we have to be sure that we are doing it correctly.  Your diaphragm should be doing the bulk of the work when you are breathing at rest.  Don't believe me? Take a look at a baby and see their belly goes up and down.  If you are not using your diaphragm you are tightening the muscles of your neck, chest, and back with every breath.  On a similar topic, connection to self, community, and nature all have scientific backing, don’t believe me? Try some of our suggestions for yourself!

 
 

Diaphragmatic + Breathing behind the Shield

Your diaphragm was specifically designed for changing the pressure in your lungs to make them expand.  If this isn't happening your body will lift the rib-cage off of the lungs by using the muscles of your neck (scalenes & sternocleidomastoid) along with the muscles of your chest and back most specifically your pectoralis minor.  The beginning of this video is a great place to start. To make it a “Therapeutic Breath”, try to inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds.  After that, try to learn how to breathe behind the shield and use that new skill when you are performing our 8 Foundations of Exercise.

 

Shut Your Mouth Breathing - Patrick McKeown

Ever been called a mouth breather?  If not, consider yourself lucky because it is certainly not a compliment.  The act of breathing through your nose has a world of positive and necessary physiological effects.  If you or someone you know breathes through their mouth, you have to show them this video.

 

Tactical / Box Breathing

We are lucky that most of us don't have bombs and buildings blowing up around us on a regular basis, but for people in military combat that can, unfortunately, be a reality.  Tactical / Box Breathing was developed by the Navy SEALS to stay calm in high pressure situations so don't think for a second that it won't work for you to unwind before you catch the next train to Sleepytown. 

Want to spice it up? Try our Integrated Breathing by:

  1. On inhale - Think about what’s on your mind

  2. On hold - Think about the next logical step

  3. On exhale - Think about a serene place

  4. On hold - try and relax every muscle in your body

It's great to do in your bedroom 15 minutes before you want to sleep.  Start with 5 minutes and work your way up 10 minutes.

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Connection to Self

Connection to self may be as simple as consistently familiarizing your mind with the feeling of happiness or contentment by doing something you enjoy.  This one is personal, but needs to be done every day even if it’s for a short period of time.  Find something that gives you a sense of wellbeing and do it often.  Suggestions are -  dancing, exercising, singing, listening to your favorite song, surfing, spending time with your grandkids, spending time with your grandparents - whatever brings a simple smile.  It may seem counter intuitive, but other ways to improve your connection to self and happiness are by being empathetic and kind to others.  Try it and you’ll see!

 
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Connection to Community

Connection to community is equally important, but can be a little bit more time consuming. Because of the science, we suggest volunteering weekly or finding a social or religious organization that suits your needs. We are all together in this world, but it doesn’t always feel that way. Best bet is to try a few different crews and see who you want to roll with.

 
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Connection to Nature

Connection to Nature is well proven in the literature to reduce cortisol levels, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic (rest and digest) nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity (fight or flight), so go for a walk in the woods, sit under a tree, swim in the ocean or a lake for 30 minutes as often as possible and if possible do it BAREFOOT!  Don’t call us hippies, man, we just report on the research!