Spaces and oxygen

I've been seeing a lot of lingering coughs and a sense of sluggishness left over from the winter months. It seems like a lot of us just haven't been able to shake off those feelings of depleted energy or mental fuzziness.

In my practice, I've observed that there's often residual tension in the chest area - around the spaces where your ribs connect to your spine, and even within the lungs themselves.

You've probably heard a lot of chatter lately about the incredible power of mindful breathing. It's like a direct expressway to your nervous system (NS), helping to shift your body from that stress-inducing 'fight or flight' mode into a more nourishing state.

What's more, breathing exercises can contribute to improved heart rate variability, a key signpost of overall health. Heart rate variability measures the changes in the time interval between each heartbeat, and it provides a valuable glimpse into the balance between our body's stress response (the sympathetic nervous system) and its more restful, nourishing aspect (the parasympathetic nervous system). .

Just a few minutes of focused attention on your breath each day can make a big difference. It's like providing oiling to the joints of your ribcage, encouraging them to open and close more freely. This in turn supports healthier lung function. It's interesting to note that your ribs meet your spine at a site rich in clusters of nerves (autonomic ganglia) that help regulate the interplay between our body's action and relaxation responses, so good rib movement actually enhances their function.

So where should you begin? Simply try to make your exhale longer than your inhale.

Or you might like to experiment with pausing in the space between inhaling and exhaling, just like that hushed moment when the ocean tides change course. There's an incredible power in that stillness. Practice holding your breath briefly after you've finished inhaling and before you start exhaling, and again after you've finished exhaling and before you begin inhaling.

And remember to let your magnificent ribs move freely, acting like a lever at your spine, and helping the tiny air spaces scattered throughout your lungs burst alive with vital oxygen.