Their work suggests we could all be doing much better. Only recently have researchers begun to truly examine the fine-tuned ways we breathe on a daily basis. Even within the medical field, lung specialists such as pulmonologists mostly study how to treat ailments like asthma, emphysema or respiratory illness. Things must veer woefully off course before we pay attention. On many levels, 2020 forced humans everywhere to consider their breath as an act of survival.įor most of us, thinking about - let alone improving - our respiratory system has always been more reactionary than preventative. Gasping at political upheaval and racial tensions. White-knuckling it through social isolation, then reentry.
Treading cautiously in supermarket aisles. You’ve likely held your breath plenty over the past tumultuous year and a half. But you don’t need to go swimming to find this anxiety. The mind goes on immediate alert at the mere prospect of lacking oxygen, even if your blood and organs have plenty for another minute or two.
When that happens, most of us experience a rush of anxiety. Many people describe a wave of relaxation in this moment - an all-consuming calm, a quieting of the mind, a slowed mental state - until the lungs demand another breath. Close your lips and conserve the air within. Tune in to your body next time you plunge your head into water.
Some of us are better at holding our breath than others. This article appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of Discover magazine as "Know Your Breath." Become a subscriber for unlimited access to our archive.
0 kommentar(er)
