Why We Should Focus On Our Breath?

The art of Mindful breathing

Your thoughts aren’t you, if you are having negative thoughts it may compel you to believe that your thoughts define you but focusing on the breath will remind you that you aren’t your thoughts. By tuning in your breath you tune into yourselves. When a person thinks about the past or worries about the future, their heart rate increases and this increases the cortisol levels which makes one feel anxious.

When we tune in our breath, it helps us to be in the present and to detach from areas of pain or worrisome stories we keep telling ourselves, detaching from the emotion of pain can help in reducing the sensation of discomfort.

Mindful breathing basically means focusing on your breath and paying attention to the sensation of the breath coming in and out of the body. It is a deep breathing exercise. It is done to achieve the desired outcome like reaching a state of relaxation while in meditation, and to fall asleep.

Stress is the outcome of negative thoughts and worries of the past or the future and by focusing on the breath we became aware and develop the ability to choose whether to pay attention to those thoughts or not. And thus, this helps us to calm down and experience a peaceful feeling which results in the relaxation of the body. As the body relaxes so even the mind follows.

Being in the present makes you realize that anxious thoughts are either about the past or the future and things aren't usually an issue at the moment and thus, our thinking becomes more rational. Practicing mindful breathing is the rest for the body and the mind and causes our breath to slow down which helps us brain waves to change. It is said that focusing on the breath can bring you out of this heightened state of alertness. Deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system. And since the mind receives the calming messages it signals your body to lower your heart rate and blood pressure which helps your mind to calm down.

A recent study in the Journal of Neurophysiology reveals that several brain regions linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath.

When you focus on your breath it not only reminds you that you are alive, it even has a number of proven health benefits.

The benefits of mindful breathing are:

• Helps to reduce stress

• Reliefs pain

• Reduces anxiety

• Improve sleep

• Emotional regulation

• Helps to increase positive emotions and compassion

• Improve brain health

• Less negative thinking and negative self-talk

When you focus on your breath you will realize how beautiful it is to be alive, you will be grateful for the breath and for this life. And this realization will fill you with peace and happiness.