While we realise we are constantly breathing, we might not always be fully aware of the way in which we breathe.

Typical adult lung capacity is around six litres but, generally, adults inhale much, much less. This is primarily due to the fact that a lot of the time we breathe in a very shallow manner – only utilising the upper part of our lungs. If we try to regularly bring our attention to our breath while, at the same time, trying to slowly increase the length of our inhale, we will experience many benefits, both physically and emotionally.

With increased oxygen in our blood stream, our heart rate slows and we naturally get a feeling of calmness throughout the body as our autonomic nervous system switches from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recuperation).

Spending too much time in a stressed (fight or flight) mode can result in health problems such as high blood pressure (a major risk factor for heart disease) and suppression of the immune system (making us more likely to pick up infections) plus the build up of stress can contribute to anxiety and depression. Isn’t it astounding to think that your heart health, immune system, blood pressure and stress levels can all be optimised by something as relatively simple and wholly accessible as paying attention to how you breathe?

Physical Exercise Of The Month

As you sit in your chair/truck/tractor/jeep or even if you’re standing up, remember first to roll your shoulders back. Be mindful of not sticking your chest out and if your shoulders tend to creep forward, simply readjust by rolling them back again. This act creates the space in your chest to take a full breath.

Now, bring your hands down in front of your lower tummy and, as you inhale, move each hand and arm in an outward direction up and over your head until the fingers are touching above your head. Then, as you exhale, bring them back down to meet again below your tummy. Repeat for three to five breaths as many times per day as you can, but remember to take your time – it’s all about quality of movement rather than quantity.

Mindful Exercise Of The Month

Next time you are in your car/tractor/jeep, turn the radio off. Try to travel in silence for two minutes or turn the tractor off and sit in silence for two minutes. This effectively turns all the noise off and allows your hearing sense just a moment of stillness and a pause from constant noise. If you can combine this exercise with a little conscious effort to breathe more deeply and deliberately, it will be even more helpful to reduce any undue stress you may be under.

It can be helpful to do this exercise when travelling home after a long day or if you’re going into a stressful environment. Park your car in a safe place, just a short distance from your destination, and give yourself permission to have two minutes (or more) of silence, close your eyes, roll your shoulders back and breathe deeply. If your mind starts to wander, don’t give out to yourself about it; just bring your attention back to your breath and that will help you stay in the stillness of that quiet moment wherever you are.

When you’re ready, you might be surprised to find that when you get home to your loving (albeit noisy) family, you are better able to deal with their sounds.

Something to ponder

It might be interesting to consider carrying a pitchfork on your shoulder for a moment. How heavy is it? Not very, I think we would all agree.

Now, imagine carrying the same pitchfork on the same shoulder for a full day. How heavy is the pitchfork now? In reality, the weight of the fork remains constant, but it feels heavier now because you’ve been carrying it for longer.

Now, imagine carrying that same pitchfork for a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. The weight of the pitchfork remains constant but after a lifetime of carrying it anybody would be on their knees from the act of carrying it for so long.

We all have a “pitch fork” in our lives – a responsibility you could call it – which we are able to carry. It’s not too heavy for us but it’s really important to learn how to put it down from time to time.

For more practical mindfulness exercises, visit Catherine Callaghan Yoga on YouTube.

For information on Catherine’s yoga and mindfulness classes for women, men and children in the Carlow/Wexford region, visit Yoga With Catherine Callaghan on Facebook. CL