The hot dogs are grilled black and Uncle Pete can’t stop complaining about great Aunt Suzie’s dentures—claims they’re just too large for her mouth. You love your job, but, with the new promotion, you are only managing a nice round four hours of sleep per night. And when you realize last year’s 4th of July skirt is too small, you break down and munch on those one-stick-of-butter- per -cookie cookies; surely taking four cookies from the was the polite thing to do. This is the backdrop to your busy summer, balancing your long list of to-dos, office work, and family time— this is not the kind of balance your weekly yoga class helps you with—and that’s another thing, while you love your yoga class, the stress relief and calmed spirit only lasts an hour. Two minutes after Namaste, you are greeted by the exhaust of big, fat cars (maybe they are hybrids?) and cell phone conversations. (This stresses me out just writing about it).
We all need a space that cultivates a peaceful warrior—look at what you have to face on a daily basis. Stress is unhealthy. Throughout our busy days, we breathe at every moment. Breathing is our most constant and necessary activity, yet we often don’t think about it. Many of us breathe inefficiently; we breathe through our mouths, taking shallow breaths and using our chests rather than our diaphragms. However, if you take breathing more seriously, you can become aware of the natural medical benefits of thoughtful breath. Pranayama is a breathing exercise used in yoga that promotes proper breathing; it most commonly translated as “the science of the breath.” Below is a brief discussion about how and why breathing can make you healthier.
Breathing does have an effect on our health.
1) Respiration is one of the most important functions of the body; that should come as no surprise. Oxygen plays a key role in metabolism. Without it, the body cannot efficiently burn food, nor generate energy. Thus, the rhythm and rate of breathing not only reflects one’s physical condition but will also help to create a better physical condition.
2) Breathing is also a unique physiological function as it is both a voluntary and automatic act. By modifying one’s breathing, taking slower, deeper breaths one has an ability to help control the nervous system. Ultimately, breathing slowly can induce a state of calmness.
3) By using your chest only when breathing, your breaths become shallow and rapid. Chest breathing doesn’t fully expand the lungs and leaves static air in parts of the lungs. Expanding only parts of the lungs, increases the likelihood of poor blood circulation, which impairs the functioning of the organs.
4) The cardiovascular system is closely related to how efficiently one breathes. Essential hypertension (high blood pressure of unknown cause) has been shown to respond favorably to a daily regimen of diaphragmatic breathing. Other problems such as headaches and migraines will also benefit from deep breathing. Although breathing from your diaphragm is easy to do, the habit of doing it must be consciously cultivated before it can become automatic.
Saagara is an Ann Arbor based Digital Health Company, whose founders have an eclectic background including medical, design, engineering, and yoga/meditation. The Saagara team is dedicated to helping you maximize your overall health and well being, so that you may lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Saagara designs applications that you can easily access through devices you already have; you can find these applications via Apple’s App Store, on the Android Market, or on this website. We have one well-received product on the market so far (Pranayama), with several more in development. Based on one of the core principles of Yoga, our Pranayama app takes you on a progressive journey as it focuses on slow, deep breathing and guides you with calming music and animated visuals. Slow paced breathing with techniques such as Pranayama has been shown to promote better health. Breathing correctly will not only stop these unwanted physiological consequences to our bodies and help prevent disease, but it can also enhance the way we feel, giving us more energy, stamina, and concentration. The regimen of Pranayama presented in Saagara’s application guides your breathing. The animation provided during the exercises shows you how to breathe using your diaphragm, and the music guides you through the breathing stages by having different tones for inhalation, exhalation, and retention. It’s an easy way to gain energy, focus, and relaxation for a healthier you.
Check out our website for additional medical information! www.saagara.com
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