In many circles, carbon dioxide is thought to be simply a waste product of our metabolism.
However, it turns out that carbon dioxide is an incredibly important compound and if we breathe incorrectly, then we can create an imbalance (shortage) of CO2, leading to a number of health issues.
So, we have the potential to increase both acute CO2 levels in the blood, as well as longer term CO2 threshold levels through basic breathing exercises.
Usually, the slowing of the breath happens naturally through other methods of down-regulation such as meditation (which also brings about an increase in metabolism and body temperature), but specific breath exercises can be a simple, direct method.
However, this post is not about the exercises. Because first, we need to develop an awareness of how we are actually breathing?
Homework task: Notice your breath throughout the day. What is the nature of the breath?
Where do you feel the breath? Do you breathe through the nose or the mouth? Do your shoulders rise and fall through standard, passive breathing? How many breaths per minute are you taking? Do you often cough or yawn? Are you sinuses often blocked?
The first step is awareness. Then we can develop a practice.
