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Breathing right ensures a healthier and longer life by supplying enough oxygen to the body and reducing stress. It also clams down mind.

Proper breathing is a key to good health. Besides ensuring sufficient supply of oxygen to the body, correct breathing also calms the mind. Slow, deep, and conscious breathing ensures that we use our lungs to their full capacity. Most of us do not breathe deeply using our diaphragm. As a result, our breathing is shallow.

Oxygen helps our body cells use the energy from the food we eat to keep our organs functioning. As 70% of our body waste is discharged in the form of gases and particles, breathing helps cleanse our body. It helps boost the immune system, energy levels and overall health. Proper breathing helps us think positively and increase our confidence level. It also makes us open hearted and helps us connect easily with others and experience compassion.

Breathing and weight loss
There is a link between weight loss and conscious breathing. When we are stressed, our body releases Cortisol that converts protein into energy and releases stored sugar as fuel.
It stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for energy, and insulin release to maintain blood sugar levels. Correct breathing reduces stress, lowers cortical, and reduces appetite and craving for food.

The right way to breathe
The method of long and deep breathing has been explained both in ‘Yog Shikshak Darshika’ part-1 (p. 29) & part-2 (p. 48) respectively. In fact this breathing is the base of Pranayam.

Method
Exhale slowly; squeeze the stomach up to your maximum capacity so much so that the base of the naval touches the spine. Loosen the stomach and inhale slowly up to the throat. When we are confirmed in this practice then start equalisation of exhalation and inhalation say three seconds each to begin with. Increase the duration according to your capacity upon ten seconds. Don’t make hasty in increasing the duration. Further steps will be explained next time.