L U N G S

Take a breath. Take it in. Let it go.

Take care.

Published at The Inertia 

Go ahead and slouch right now. Yep- you read correctly, slouch. For this one time only though, haha. J And take a deep breath. How’d that go? Now- sit up tall with a lengthened spine. Take another breath. Much better, right? Posture is key for our breathing! Otherwise the hunched appearance also known as excessive thoracic kyphosis limits rib expansion. And it also compresses the diaphragm, which is the primary muscle for breathing. The more thoracic flexion or kyphosis, the less lung capacity - up to 30% less! A good ‘ol lunge or “lung-ing” is one of my favorite yoga poses. It’s reverses all the sitting, driving, Netflix watching that we do because it opens up our hips and psoas in extension, develops stamina and endurance of our quads and glutes plus it expands our chest, lungs and shoulders. And it feels so good!  

Better posture = Better lung capacity = Better breathing = More oxygen = More energy.  

True, our posture effects our breathing and respiration but also the lungs are at the forefront of global concern these days and in the forefront of my brain from COVID-19 to my Dad’s battle with lung cancer. And I had a glimpse of what it feels like to not breathe well from debilitating asthma when I was growing up. I mean, it’s no joke, it’s like breathing through one of those tiny coffee stirring straws that are thankfully band now. You get the idea.

Let’s get into the lungs… this gets really cool, especially if you are an anatomy nerd like me.

First off, one of the meanings of lungs- is light. And they really are light- together only weighing 2.9 lbs. despite them being the largest internal organ each are practically the size of a football. And they are the only organ that floats! Their pulmonary buoyancy is from the 1,500 miles of airways- that’s a lot flight paths- which are loaded with microscopic bunches of grape-like sacs called alveoli where respiration occurs: the intake of O2 and the release of CO2. Structurally the right lung has three lobes and the left lung has only two with a cardiac notch designed to house the heart. I wonder if Serena Williams knows the total internal surface of the lungs is estimated to equal one side of a tennis court. Mind blown!

From examining the structure, to now examining how your breath is actually feeling in this moment- what is it telling you? In Traditional Chinese Medicine grief and sadness are the emotions associated with the lungs. Think about it, that makes so much sense, when you are deeply sad, what happens to your breath? It constricts. It vanishes. It’s frantic. How is your breath when you are feeling calm and happy? It’s soft. It’s smooth. It’s light. Our breath is an emotional barometer. A direct reflection of our mental state.

It’s very interesting that COVID effects the respiratory system. One may wonder the impact of the grief our world is enduring. Now to move forward collectively, in unity, breathing in sync, one breath at a time. Take time to consciously breathe.

A normal adult breathes around 17,000 cycles in 24 hours, mostly unconsciously. Tap into your conscious breath with this practice called Nadi Shodhana/Alternate Nostril breathing - for brain balancing, mind shifting, releasing grief and calming your nerves.  Sounds good to me.

Sit comfortably with a lengthened spine (good posture is key!)

Place your left hand in your lap 

Bend in your index finger and middle finger of your right hand

Close your eyes

Lightly press your right thumb just below the bridge of your right nostril and inhale through the left nostril

pause

Seal off the left nostril gently with your ring/pinky finger just below the bridge of the nose, and exhale through the right nostril

pause

Inhale through the right nostril

pause

Seal off the right nostril, exhale through the left nostril

pause

Inhale through the left

pause

Seal off the left and exhale right… aim for 4 seconds on the inhale/exhale and even for the pauses, and increasing to longer counts when it’s comfortable

repeat for 8-10 rounds

 There is lightness in your lungs. Breathe in the lightness of life.

 Take a break.

Take a deep breath.

Take care,

Amanda Kriebel DPT, E-RYT 500

@amanda.kriebel