Take a breath in... what does it feel like is happening in your lungs?
For many, it seems like the lungs are empty sacks which fill up with air (when we breathe in) and clear of air (when we breathe out). Actually, your lungs have a consistency more like a water balloon crossed with a chocolate aero bar: a shiny, stretchy, latex like surface filled with 300 million tiny air sacs (known as alveoli). Since each of these tiny air sacs are surrounded by up to a thousand blood vessels, it is the gas exchange that takes place between these air sacs and blood vessels that enables us to breathe (and that make up this large surface area).
Many of us are barely breathing at all.
For most of us, we barely breathe into even 70% of our lungs (even during exercise!) and, for those over 50 years old (or with respiratory disorders), we are looking at around 50% to as low as about 20%. On the positive side, we humans are incredible survivors so can survive extraordinary conditions but, here is the crux: where our lungs lack ventilation, it is our heart that has to pick up the slack, which is does by beating faster (and inadvertently exhausting itself and reducing its heart-beating life span).
As far as breathing exercises go, actions that improve lung ventilation feel REALLY nice to do and, perhaps the best bit, breathing after doing them feels wildly effortless (and helps our mind and body feel calm and relaxed.
To recapture your lung ventilation, message me back to join tonight's Simplicity Class on ZOOM (19:30 GMT ). OR join Ollie for a free taster session tomorrow morning at 11am. Message me for details.
Sam