4 tips for better breathing

Our connection to being in a body - or not, is our breath. It is something we usually don’t have to think much about or even control. The breath happens naturally for us - unless we are doing something to get in it’s way.

Posture

Do you sit slumped over a keyboard all day? Slouch while standing for too long? Take a moment to sit or stand upright. Allow your head to gently extend away from the neck and shoulders. Feel the shoulder blades sliding down the back ribs, the sternum (breastbone) slightly lifting. Ah, feels better already!

Food

Do you have mucus forming often? Have you noticed if foods make it worse? Dairy is often a trigger for making mucus.

Environment

Do you get the sneezes during change of seasons? Have tight airways when you smell perfumes or anything sprayed into the air? Keeping your space clean - using natural products like water, vinegar and bicarb instead of bleach can minimise exposure to airway contaminants.  

If you do get all bunged up and find breathing tricky:

Push the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth with your lips closed and take a few breaths before coming back to normal breathing.

Putting a bit of olive or coconut oil around and slightly inside your nostrils will help to lubricate the nose and sinuses so that less mucus is formed. 

Putting your arms above your head also helps to open up the airways. 

Acupoints Lung 1 and 2 can be rubbed - found in the crease where the shoulder meets the chest.