Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: How hard is it to breathe? How can anyone be doing it wrong? It is in essence the most basic function of living; however, it can be more complicated than we think.

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Improper breathing patterns can cause many issues, mentally and physically, for us without even knowing. Because of its influence on almost everything that we do, breathing properly is something that we take for granted because, well, we have been doing it since birth!

Poor breathing patterns have been linked to cognitive functions, stress, neck pain, headaches, back pain, and shoulder issues – among many other things.

Each and every single one of the processes in the body are dependent on oxygen. Some of our most work-intensive organs are:

• The Brain – Uses approximately 20% of the oxygen we consume. When there’s a shortage of oxygen the brain will work slower, and since the brain regulates a lot of other functions in the body, these are also affected.

• The Heart – Constantly active and beating about 100,000 times in a single day, the heart is a huge consumer of oxygen – and shortage in supply means the heart can’t pump out blood as effectively. This leads to bad circulation, and the result can be cold hands and feet.

• The Muscles – Oxygen shortage has a negative effect on stamina, as the muscles go stiff, tense, and tired faster.

Most of us employ a shallow breathing process which is very reliant on neck muscles and the upper shoulder muscles, as opposed to a diaphragm – almost belly-like – breathing pattern. One of the best methods I use for coaching clients on breathing techniques is to lie down on a floor, and place one hand on the chest and another on the belly button.

Inhale from the nose and ensure that 2/3rds of the inhalation causes the hand on the belly to expand followed by 1/3rd from the chest.

You might notice that this may not come easily with many adults as they have already developed a ‘reverse’ breathing pattern in which 2/3rd of inhalation comes from the chest.

What happens is then we stress our ‘accessory’ breathing muscles in the neck and shoulders when we take repeated reps of breathing and exhaling throughout the course of our lives. Interestingly, if you observe a baby breathing chances are they will be breathing mostly from their diaphragm.

As with everything in life, practice makes perfect, and sometimes we just need to be more conscious with our inner self. Meditation, yoga, and exercise are great ways to ‘re-connect’ with ourselves. Set aside half an hour a day to focus on breathing and stretching – and make it a routine and feel the positive changes happen!