{"id":155,"date":"2025-10-31T13:31:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T12:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.relearntobreathe.com\/?p=155"},"modified":"2026-02-10T20:21:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:21:28","slug":"why-should-we-learn-to-breathe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relearntobreathe.com\/en_gb\/why-should-we-learn-to-breathe\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY SHOULD WE LEARN TO BREATHE?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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How could something so effective be overlooked? Breathing is the first place, not the last, one should look when fatigue or disease presents itself.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My name is Adriana and I study the mechanics and muscles of breathing<\/em> \u2014simply put, how to breathe correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


We all breathe at this very second \u2014 or maybe we’re not \ud83d\ude09. Can you tell? While breathing is something we all do naturally, we rarely consider how it connects to everything in our lives. Gaining the ability to understand breathing is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Breathing will support you in any given situation or challenge you have to face, whether it’s an important presentation, interview, workout, or performance. It will support you in simple activities like walking or climbing a few stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


You might be asking, “Isn’t breathing automatic?” Yes and no. Breathing is one of the few body functions that’s both automatic and under our conscious control. Because we can control it, we can unconsciously develop poor breathing habits. Most people don’t have the slightest idea about how breathing works, and it needs to be explained. However, once we relearn to breathe correctly, we’ll give our body the oxygen it needs to function properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BREATHING<\/em> IS THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF MOVING AIR IN AND OUT OF THE LUNGS.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


We respond to stressful situations by restricting our breathing, which throws our body off balance. Our sleep may suffer and, therefore, our ability to think and perform. We end up feeling drained, struggling through each day, and worrying excessively. We all deal with some form of stress and pressure, pain and fatigue. Imagine having better control over how we respond to the world around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


According to clinical psychologist and breathing expert Dr. Belisa Vranich, most adults breathe in a dysfunctional way. (Vranich, B. [2016]. How to Breathe<\/em>. TEDx Manhattan Beach).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to breathe in a dysfunctional way?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Try-It-Now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a deep breath. Do you puff up your chest and raise your shoulders when you inhale; settle down and relax when you exhale? Simply, are you using your upper chest to breathe, and the movement is up and down? If yes, keep reading.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Most people breathe this way; we call it Vertical Breathing. You’re using the shoulders and neck to breathe \u2014 these muscles were never meant to be your main breathing muscles. Even though it’s a small movement, it’s happening thousands of times a day, millions of times a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


When we breathe with our upper chest, we access only the smallest part of our lungs, and therefore we need to breathe faster to provide our body with the oxygen needed for proper function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


This shallow breathing has become a way of life, causing the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Shallow breathing forces you to breathe faster to meet your body’s oxygen needs, making your breathing inefficient.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Overusing the muscles in your upper body\u2014chest, shoulders, and neck\u2014causes chronic pain. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The diaphragm, the most important breathing muscle, becomes tight and rigid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The spine becomes stiff because your rib cage doesn’t open properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Meet Your Diaphragm:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your lungs do nothing on their own \u2014 even though the air goes always into the lungs, they require muscles in order to function properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Place your hands on the bottom of your ribs \u2014 this is where the biggest, most oxygen-rich part of your lungs are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Now, find the bottom of your ribs and walk your fingers around from the front to the sides all the way to the back \u2014 this is where your diaphragm<\/strong> attaches. The diaphragm is your main breathing muscle. It looks like a parachute or a frisbee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    When we breathe with our upper chest, our diaphragm becomes tight and rigid, leading to dysfunctional breathing that interferes with the steady delivery of oxygen to the body and brain. That’s why we need to relearn how to breathe correctly \u2014 to remove obstructions and limitations, increase the flexibility and strength of our breathing muscles, and ensure our breathing becomes flexible and effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    KEY TAKEAWAYS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Breathing is the physical process of moving air in and out of the lungs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Air always goes into the lungs, but the lungs need muscles to function properly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The diaphragm is the most important breathing muscle for inhalation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • When you breathe only with your upper chest (Vertical Breathing), your diaphragm becomes tight and rigid, restricting your breathing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The goal is to remove these restrictions, improve the flexibility and strength of your breathing muscles, and make your breath effortless and adaptable to any situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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      NOTES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Vranich, B. (2016). Breathe: The simple, revolutionary 14-day program to improve your mental and physical health<\/em>(1st ed.). St. Martin’s Griffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      My name is Adriana and I study the mechanics and muscles of breathing \u2014simply put, how to breathe correctly. We all breathe at this very second \u2014 or maybe we’re not \ud83d\ude09. Can you tell? While breathing is something we all do naturally, we rarely consider how it connects to everything in our lives. Gaining the ability […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breathing-mechanics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t