Normal breathing, or should I say what should be normal breathing is all we need to oxygenate our blood (disease can't survive in oxygen), stimulate proper blood circulation to all the vital organs, stimulate peristaltic action in the colon (correcting constipation, gas, heartburn, indigestion, liver troubles, etc.) and calm our nerves.

I will call it Long Deep Breathing since it actually isn't as normal as it should be. Long Deep Breathing has a remarkably calming effect upon the nerves, especially the pneumo-gastric nerve and the Solar Plexus. In an unborn baby the vital organs are practically at a standstill. But with the first breath, the "Breath of Life" the entire vital machinery is set in motion. This breath means the awakening of the pneumo-gastric nerve and especially the Solar Plexus.

Not only will long slow deep breath reduce pain, stress, and depression and improve your over all well being, it will increase your life span. The shortest-lived animals are those who breathe rapidly. The longest-lived animals are those who take slower breaths. In India there are Breathatarians. They have been known to breathe one full breath per minute and live to be well over 130 years old. Ideally we would like to breathe 15 Long Deep Breath per minute for a long healthy life. The average human breathes 13-15 breathes a second.

The nose is in direct contact with the hypothalamus by its link with the olfactory lobe of the brain. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, which influences the mental processes that are interpreted by the brain as emotional states. The hypothalamus is a part of the limbic system -- that part of the brain associated with emotions and motivation.

Nostrils, by means of the process of respiration, are connected with neuromotor responses and thus with the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic). These neuromotor responses influence the hemispheres of the brain and the primary activity of the brain, which is chemical. Neurotransmitters are the brain's chemical messengers: they influence all body functions, including temperature, blood pressure, hormone levels, and regular circadian rhythms.
When you are around a baby or animal, watch as they instinctively breathe correctly. Watch the baby inhale. His belly moves out and down with the inhale, the whole body expanding. As he exhales, his whole body collapses. So it is with any animal -- next time your dog or cat is sleeping, watch it breathe.

Now let's practice some Long Slow Breathing.
Close your eyes and your mouth.
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Breath long slow deep breaths while mentally counting as you inhale and exhale.
Counting can help to keep you focused and show you how you are improving in your depth of breathe.
Notice expansion from the abdomen on up to the throat on an inhale.
Body softens from the throat on down on the exhale.
When you inhale make sure you keep your shoulders relaxed chest open.

Think of an ocean wave. The inhale is the wave building and the exhale is the wave clasping into shore.

During contraction of childbirth we want the mother to be limp and relaxed as she breathes. It's important to watch the inhale and keep shoulders down and relaxed. The more relaxed during the breaths, the less pain and anxiety. Watch for any tension on face and for clinched hands. Always speaking in a calm voice remind her to melt. Melt like butter in the hot sun or any other picture that works for her.

Yogis, chi kung practitioners, meditators, and alternative health practitioners have known for a long time that conscious breathing can help reduce stress, increase relaxation, and decrease pain. In her new book "Molecules of Emotion", famed neuroscientist Candace Pert tells us that bringing our attention to our breathing during meditation brings many such benefits.
When we are born we are born breathing correctly. Restrictive clothing, sitting improperly, and posture adapted to protect our hearts from further pain in life cause us to almost shut down our breathing. Most people breath shallow small breaths. This means we need more breaths so the breathing we do is faster than it should be. Also the lack of oxygen causes depression, which can then move on to more disease in the body.

Normal breathing, or should I say what should be normal breathing is all we need to oxygenate our blood (disease can't survive in oxygen), stimulate proper blood circulation to all the vital organs, stimulate peristaltic action in the colon (correcting constipation, gas, heartburn, indigestion, liver troubles, etc.) and calm our nerves.