The Beauty of Breathing part three

Shallow or Deep?
Are you a deep, belly-breather or a shallow breather?

The process of breathing involves the lungs taking oxygen from the air and transferring it to de-oxygenated blood pumped into the lungs by the heart.

The lower lobes of the lung contain more capillaries, therefore exchange more oxygen. This makes deep breathing much more effective for oxygenating your blood than high, shallow breathing. When you test which hand on your belly not the hand under the collarbones. Shallow breathing is far less effective than deep, belly breathing.

Shallow breathing also activates your fight or flight system resulting in feelings of anxiety, stress and irritability. It can also cause you to hyperventilate by expelling too much carbon dioxide and this can cause symptoms such as dizziness, rapid heart rate, chest pains and lightheadedness.