Positive Defensive Behavior

Proper Breathing Techniques

Proper Breathing Techniques

Breathing is something we all do, of course, but a majority of us (in America) don’t know how to breathe properly. Here is an explanation of proper breathing for you to learn and practice. Intentional practice will lead to automatic correct breathing.

It’s normal for us to take a huge breath of air without utilizing our entire lung capacity. Watch someone take a deep breath and then have them watch you. If you see the chest rise immediately upon the beginning of the breath, you’ll know it was an improper breathing practice.

Many people develop breathing problems because they breathe strictly from the top of the lungs, filling them downward with air. The proper way to take a full breath of air is to breathe just the opposite, from the bottom up. If the entire lung is not used, it may become sick from non-use.

Here is a way to begin practicing using your entire lung capacity: 1. Lay your hand flat against your stomach 2. Push your hand out with your belly button as you breathe in deeply through your nose. 3. Blow out through your mouth. Now you have taken a complete breath.

There are many benefits to proper breathing. When you have a proper amount of oxygen in your lungs, it cleans the blood and feeds the muscles. You feel stronger, more energetic and you increase your stamina. When you feel angry, frustrated or hyperactive, you can use this following technique to lower your heart rate and blood pressure as well as cool off your brain and reduce stress:

1. Breathe in as previously instructed. 2. While you are breathing in, think to yourself “Blue”. Blue represents peace, such as calm water. This is the calm coming into your body. 3. When you reach the top of your breath (lungs are full of air), think to yourself, “I am calm.” 4. Blow out the air through your mouth. 5. While you are blowing out, think to yourself “Red”. Red represents hostility, such as fire. This is the anger, frustration, etc. leaving your body. 6. When you have let your air out, count the breath. 1, 2, 3, etc. 7. Take about 5 slow breaths, more if you need to in starting are okay.

Side note for kids: Hyperactivity means like when you can’t be still or when you feel like you just have to do some type of movement and can’t stop until you do. We don’t always recognize when we are being hyper, but adults will help us to know by the things they say (which is why it’s so important to practice the listening skills we talked about in the front of the book). They may say things like “Calm down, now” or “Settle down, now”. If we’re being really hyper, they may say “WILL YOU CHILL OUT?” This is an indication that we need to sit down and practice our breathing. These learned skills can also be applied when addressing certain differences between people which are not learned, but rather are innate differences.

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