| Burcu Babayiğit
How Do You Know If You Are Breathing Correctly?
Breathing correctly is actually a skill we all instinctively know from the moment we are born, but one that most of us forget in adulthood. Yet proper breathing techniques enhance the body’s healing capacity, calm the mind, and bring balance to our life energy (prana).
If you observe small children, you will notice how much they remind us of what we have forgotten. When they sit on the floor, their spines are upright, their bellies relaxed, and their breathing comes entirely from the diaphragm. As they inhale, their bellies expand like a balloon; as they exhale, they deflate. Their breathing is continuous, fluid, and through the nose. This is precisely the natural rhythm that we adults need to remember.
Unfortunately, as we grow into adulthood, this natural and healthy breathing habit often deteriorates. It is known that around 90% of people breathe incorrectly. This is a very high percentage, and it creates a chain of negative effects in the body. Poor breathing habits pave the way for chronic fatigue, headaches, burnout, sleep problems, digestive difficulties, and even trouble focusing. More importantly, irregular and shallow breathing increases the tendency toward anxiety and panic attacks, keeping the nervous system constantly on alert and pushing the body into chronic stress mode. Correct breathing, on the other hand, is a natural healing tool for both our physical and mental health. When practiced regularly, it activates the body’s own self-healing capacity, calms the mind, and visibly improves our quality of life.
Change your breath, change your life.
But do you breathe correctly in daily life? Ask yourself these questions:
Do I breathe in and out through my nose during daily activities?
As I inhale, does my belly move more than my chest?
Is my breath continuous, fluid, and easy?
Is my spine upright and my breath free?
Is my exhalation slightly longer than my inhalation?
Is my breathing rate between 6–12 breaths per minute?
If your answer to these questions is “Yes,” congratulations! Your body is maintaining correct breathing habits. However, if you answered “No” to one or more, this may be a sign that your breathing function has been compromised.
Correct breathing is a fluid and balanced breath taken through the nose with the active use of the diaphragm muscle. Maintaining an upright posture also strongly supports breathing function. In this way, the nervous system regulates itself, focus improves, and the body regains its natural calm.
The simplest yet most powerful way to reconcile with your body and bring balance into your life begins with discovering your breath.
If you would like to explore the healing power of correct breathing and reconnect with your body, please reach out to me through the contact page. Breath is life itself; learning to breathe correctly is the most precious gift you can give yourself.
If you would like more information about individual sessions on correct breathing in daily life, please connect with me through the contact page. With a personalized roadmap I create for you, we will walk this path together so that you can gain lifelong knowledge of correct breathing that will always guide you.