Understanding what happens when you breath (and how to apply in stress management)

Oxygen is the most important element to human life - far more important than food and water as we can go for days without those, however, can’t go more than a few minutes without air.

Automatic breathing has respiratory centers located on the upper brainstem (sometimes termed the lower brain, along with the cerebellum), a brain region controlling many involuntary and metabolic functions. Breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which is is made up of 2 divisions:

• the sympathetic nervous system which stimulates the body’s fight-or-flight response, and 
• the parasympathetic nervous system which relaxes the body after stimulation

with two systems parallel processes:

• inhaling, when the diaphragm moves down and the volume in the thoracic cavity increases, lungs filling with air and compressing the walls of the heart which in turn restricts blood flow going into and out of the heart. To compensate, our heart rate increases, stimulating our fight-or-flight response. To inhale energizes and expands us.

• exhaling, when the diaphragm moves up and the volume in the thoracic cavity decreases, lungs empty the air inside which relaxes the body, grounding and stabilizing us.

There are different ways to breathe —in the way, style, and pace  - in which can have a dramatic impact on the state of the mind and body.  

Shallow breathing doesn’t give the body enough oxygen to function properly and such consistently type of breathing  increases stagnant air, residue, and pollutants accumulated in the lungs, leading to low energy and toxic buildup. Deep breathing, on the other hand, support healthier lungs ensuring oxygen to move through the blood and all cells, detoxifying, energizing, nourishing along the way. Chest breathing, uses secondary muscles of the upper chest and is designed for use in situations of great exertion, such as a sprint or race. Stressful situations typically meme this type of breathing, with tight shoulder and neck muscles, headaches and other magnified symptoms. Diaphragmatic breathing, coming from the body's dominant breathing muscle — the diaphragm - is the effective and efficient type of breathing, leading to feelings of relaxation instead of tightness. For many of us, this deep diaphragmatic breathing seems unnatural, however that is the right way, since shallow "chest breathing"  which in turn seems normal, will increases tension and anxiety, limiting the diaphragm's range of motion, because the lowest lowest part of the lungs doesn't get a full share of oxygenated air and a deep abdominal breathing, that encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.

A good reading from Harvard Medical School  about relaxation techniques and breath control helps quell errant stress response.