The Respiratory system

The Respiratory system consists of the nose, the trachea (the windpipe)
and the lungs. Breathing (in) through your nose is always preferable as
it warms cold air, cools warm air and filters lots of impurities.

The natural deep breathing techniques learnt in Tai Chi are known to
increase lung capacity and greatly increase the amount of oxygen
brought into your body. Your diaphragm can be trained to move
downwards as you breathe, increasing the space in your lungs and the
amount of air you draw in.

Oxygen is not only a vital ingredient essential for keeping you alive, but
also the quality and quantity of the oxygen you receive greatly affects
both your health and your energy levels. This means that learning to
improve your breathing technique helps to combat fatigue by improving
your energy levels.

Not only is more oxygen brought into your lungs as your breathing
becomes deeper but also the cellular breathing process becomes more
efficient with the cells in your blood able to absorb more of this vital
oxygen. This means that deeper breathing literally saturates your blood
with increased levels of fresh oxygen. Deeper breathing also gently
increases your circulation meaning that this oxygen rich blood is then
carried everywhere in the body, nourishing all of your internal organs
including your brain.

Deeper breathing also increases your bodys ability to remove waste

products too, helping to releases toxins and stale energy and removing
more carbon dioxide from your lungs. Improved breathing helps your
hormone levels to become more balanced and stable as well as aiding
all of the glands in your endocrine system.

The rising and falling motion of your diaphragm not only helps your
lungs to function properly but also gently massages all the other internal
organs in your torso such as stomach, spleen, pancreas and the large
and small intestines. This massage greatly improves the function of all
your organs leading to many health benefits and reducing the risk of
many conditions such as gastric problems, constipation etc.

Perhaps most importantly of all deep relaxed breathing helps to calm

your nervous system. An important quote from the Buddha reads
Breathing in I calm my entire body and breathing out I calm my entire
body. With practise we no longer control the breath but allow it to
become a more natural process, almost as if your body is breathing on
its own. Deep relaxed conscious breathing helps to soothe both our
mind and body and sends a profound message that that we are safe
and that now is the time to relax.