Take a Deep Breath

Want to boost your health? Here’s a simple solution: Take a breath. Your lungs are larger at the bottom than the top, but most Americans are “top breathers.” We live on the shallow breaths common to the sick and the sleeping.

Learn to breathe from the gut. You know you are breathing correctly — from your diaphragm — if you see your stomach move in and out. If the only thing that moves or expands is your chest, then you are still taking only shallow breaths.

Deep breathing literally massages and moves the soft internal organs inside your rib cage, allowing your lymphatic system to rid itself of collected toxins. Only deep breathing allows you to tap this bonus power in your lower lungs. Singers, stage performers, broadcast announcers, and professional athletes pay great sums to voice and dialogue coaches to learn how to breathe and project through diaphragm breathing. With some practice, you too can take advantage of your lungs’ full power.