Anna Hunt, Staff Writer
Waking Times
Breathing is one of the body’s fundamental functions, yet most of us give it very little of our attention. We go about our day – taking care of our daily tasks, working, cooking, walking the dog – and unless we over-exert ourselves or choke on a piece of food, we put very little thought towards our breathing. We take it for granted, and, as a result, many of us take short and shallow breaths.
“Short, shallow breathing causes a cascade of negative effects in the body, and the body associates that with the fight-or-flight response. It gins up the adrenaline, the cortisol, the stress chemicals.” ~ Al Lee, co-author (with Don Campbell) of Perfect Breathing