Controlled Breathing: what it is and how to use it

Making the most of the lungs' potential is key to staying healthy.

Breathing is essential for any living organism. Thanks to it we obtain oxygen, which is a fundamental element to be able to manufacture the energy we need to face the day to day.

Without proper breathing we are hindering the proper functioning of our body, for that reason it is so important to train Controlled Breathing..

The importance of using the lungs well

Surely many of you will think: why do I need to learn to breathe in a "different" way? Well, it is possible that we do not breathe in the most efficient way for the organism.and that can trigger some symptoms such as hyperventilation, fatigue, feeling that "we do not get air" or shallow breathing, anxiety, and so on.

An interesting trick to see if we breathe slowly and regularly is to contemplate how a baby breathes, or at least imagine it. When breathing in, does the belly or chest swell? How many seconds elapse between inhalation and exhalation? Is it slow and relaxed or fast and rapid? Is it regular or irregular breathing?

It is curious to realize how, as a result of our pace of life or the demands of our environment, we "unlearn" how to breathe.. One of the objectives of this article is to analyze the way we breathe, to know what Controlled Breathing is and to acquire some guidelines to start training it, it will only take 10 minutes of your day.

What is Controlled Breathing?

Controlled breathing is a technique that is widely used in psychotherapy. that helps to reduce physiological activation and, therefore, to cope with anxiety (it is important to note that it does not eliminate anxiety, but it helps to cope with it and can contribute to reduce it as a consequence). It is a simple exercise that anyone can train and incorporate into their routine.

It consists of learning to breathe slowly: 8 or 12 breaths per minute (normally we breathe between 10 and 12 times per minute at rest), not too deep and using the diaphragm instead of breathing only with the chest..

Why learn to oxygenate like this?

Controlled breathing is characterized by being slow and regular, by the use of the diaphragm and by not being too deep. We will try to explain the scientific basis of why it is better to breathe this way.

It is important to breathe in a slow and regular manner because this habit is related to the decrease of vital signs (heart rate, muscle and Blood pressure). (heart rate, muscle and blood tension). Remember the example of the baby: when we are sleeping or about to sleep, we breathe more slowly and regularly than usual in our routine. If we feel more nervous or restless than usual, it is advisable to breathe more slowly.

It is advisable to use the diaphragm, a muscle unknown to many, since in this way we oxygenate our organism better.. When we are anxious we breathe in a very superficial way, and we fill our lungs little, which means that we are not contributing all the oxygen that our blood needs.

On the contrary, if we breathe to the lower part of our lungs, more oxygen reaches the blood. In doing so, the diaphragm contracts, presses on the abdomen and the abdomen rises.. Controlled breathing is related to (and can stimulate) a parasympathetic response.

It is advisable not to breathe too deeply, otherwise there will be an excessive decrease of CO2 in the lungs and we can get to hyperventilate (and if interpreted negatively, we can experience a panic attack).

How can I start practicing this habit?

To begin, the main thing is that the person finds a place where he feels comfortable and safe (lying on your back, reclining or sitting) and set aside 10 minutes. Gently close your eyes and place one hand on your abdomen, placing your little finger on your abdomen.placing the little finger just above the navel.

With each inspiration the abdomen should rise, so the hand placed on the abdomen should ascend. It is a question of taking the air to the end of the lungs, not to take a large amount of air (remember that if not, hyperventilation can occur).It is not about taking in a large amount of air (remember that if you do not, hyperventilation may occur).

Breathe in through the nose for 3 seconds using the diaphragm, and breathe out (take the air out) through the nose or through the mouth for 3 seconds more, and take a short pause to catch your breath again.. For some people it is useful to play relaxing background music, for others it is useful to repeat mentally and slowly the word "relax", "calm"... The most imaginative people find it useful to imagine that the tension escapes with the exhaled air. Some people find it more useful to pause after breathing in, i.e.: breathe in - pause - breathe out. But, in general, it will be as follows: breathe in (3 seconds) - breathe out (3 seconds) - short pause and start again.

We should try to breathe 8 to 12 times per minute. For those who find it difficult to keep track of the seconds while practicing controlled breathing, can record themselves before performing the exercise, indicating when to breathe in and when to breathe out. indicating when to breathe in and when to breathe out.

As controlled breathing is a learning process like any other, it needs practice. It is a good idea to do this exercise 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes in order to acquire fluency (preferably in easy and calm situations), and thus be able to generalize it to other situations in which it is more difficult to relax or in which we tend to become more nervous (e.g. at work, in a traffic jam, after an argument...).