Breathing: More Than Just Inhaling
We rarely think about breathing. “But It’s automatic right?” But did you know that each breath you take does far more than just keep you alive? Breathing goes beyond simply inhaling and exhaling—it’s a powerful process that plays a key role in maintaining your health, affecting your energy, digestion, and mental clarity.
In fact, many issues like low energy, digestion problems, lethargy, and brain fog may be tied to how you breathe. Let’s explore why breathing is so important—and how BodyTalk helps uncover the root cause of these issues by working with your breath.
Breathing: A Chinese Medicine Perspective
BodyTalk works with both western and eastern philosophy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we understand that breathing is at the centre of how your body’s energy flows. Every breath circulates Qi(energy) throughout your body. This energy keeps your systems in harmony, helping your body function at its best.
Did you know that your breath doesn’t just carry air? Traditional Chinese Medicine goes on to explain that breathing combines Zong Qi (energy from the air) with Gu Qi(energy from food) to fuel your body. This vital energy circulates through your meridian system, nourishing your organs and every cell of the body. But when your breathing is shallow or inefficient, this energy flow is compromised, leading to tiredness, poor digestion, or even brain fog.
How Breathing Affects Your Entire Body
Breathing creates a ripple effect throughout your body, influencing multiple functions and systems:
1. Lungs: Energising Your System
When your lungs expand, they set your body in motion. This movement pumps energy through your meridians, circulating it where your body needs it most. Breathing deeply and fully ensures this energy reaches every part of you. Shallow or inefficient breathing, on the other hand, can leave you feeling fatigued, lethargic and out of balance. You may feel a lack of motivation.
2. Digestion: A Diaphragmatic Boost
Breathing deeply doesn’t just fill your lungs—it also helps with digestion. The diaphragm’s movement massages your liver and digestive organs, promoting proper digestion and detoxification. When your breath is shallow, digestion slows, toxins build up, and you may experience bloating, discomfort or lethargy. Are you constipated? Could be you’re not breathing properly.
3. Circulation: From Your Pelvis to Your Heart
Your pelvis also moves with every breath, ensuring better blood and lymph flow throughout your body. Your lymphatic systems is like your body’s drainage. It clears toxins and impurities. An inefficient drainage system can lead to many issues like swelling and bloating, skin issues or even a compromised immune system.
4. Brain Health: Boosting Mental Clarity
Your breath even affects your brain. Each breath helps circulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which nourishes your brain and improves cognitive function. Shallow or inefficient breathing can lead to brain fog or difficulty concentrating, while deep, intentional breaths support mental clarity and focus. Insomnia, the inability to “switch off” or over-thinking are also common issues associated with inefficient breathing.
BodyTalk: Healthcare not symptom-care
In BodyTalk, we don’t tell you what’s wrong or diagnose symptoms. Instead, we listen to your body’s story. When you come in to address issues like gastritis, migraines, fatigue, or stress and anxiety, your body gets the chance to reveal the root cause of these imbalances, whether it’s related to inefficient breathing or something else entirely. Address the root cause and very often the symptoms melt away having you feeling balanced and well again.
Take a Breath: Start Breathing With Purpose
If you’ve been struggling with fatigue, digestive issues, or mental fog, it might be time to focus on your breath. By paying attention to how you breathe, you can start making positive changes in your health. And if you’re curious about how BodyTalk can help identify and treat the root cause of these issues, consider joining one of my free monthly breathing sessions.
Together, we’ll explore how breathing intentionally can help you tap into your body’s natural ability to heal and bring your entire system back into balance.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to learn more about how BodyTalk works with breathing and other health concerns, check out our FAQ page or visit my website. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have!
