The Art of Breathing

By Sensei Peter Durrant

We all want to live a more energised, healthy existence. And while I observe so many people work hard and apply self-discipline to their training and diet, there is often one simple yet fundamental area holding them back – breathing. I write this article hoping to inspire in you an appreciation about the importance of correct breathing.

Breath-taking For Granted

As with most things freely available to us, we tend to take the important business of breathing for granted. After all, it’s a simple process of inhale, exhale. It costs nothing, the supply is seemingly endless and it requires little to no effort. In fact, we can even do it in our sleep! Sadly, only when it’s impaired by pollution, unwelcomed odours, age or ill health do we start to show concern. We can survive weeks without food and days without water, but life is only possible for a few minutes without air, hence, the connection between life and breath is very close and breathing is our most important biological function. I imagine some of you are saying, “But I already know how to breathe, I’m alive aren’t I?” True, but few realise that we don’t just breathe to stay alive; it also plays a significant role in the quality of our life.

Habitual Breathing

If you only ever breathe habitually (let your body do it without any extra thought) studies suggest that you’re only every filling your lungs to about one third of their capacity because habitual breathing is very shallow. Permanently operating with a one third lung capacity means that oxygen does not transport throughout our body effectively. To give you a crash course in the importance of oxygen, it does not just enter and leave the lungs (known as external respiration), it’s also transported throughout the body via the bloodstream, unlocking the doors of energy cells. This is known as internal respiration or tissue breathing. The more our lung capacity is used, the more oxygen enters and moves throughout our bloodstream, equating to clearer thinking, less stress, minimised chance of acquiring illness or disease, greater energy and overall better health.