Breathing is a gift. Our body systems come together simultaneously to produce one single breath. Although explaining how this process is complex, breathing is involuntary and is an easy task to perform.
The way we breathe can change with each emotion, movement and stressful event that happens in our lives. This won’t take away the midterm you’ve been studying for in the library for hours, or the two assignments that you haven’t started while studying for that test, but it will calm you down and allow you to regroup your thoughts.
Although simple, breathing can literally and figuratively save your life. In the moments we feel our lives are the most chaotic they’ve ever been, we must simply remember to breathe. I’m not talking about small, shallow breaths. Taking three long and deeps breaths can make all the difference.
“By breathing deeply on your inhales and exhales through your nose, it keeps the heat inside your body and keeps you calm,” Mina Fedderly, community wellness major and Markin Family and Student Recreation Center yoga instructor, said. “Breathing helps to reduce stress, helps clear the mind and body and different types can energize or relax you.”
We all have moments where we struggle to find self-control because we are all human. But if your mind is filled with negative emotions, it completely covers up the ability to handle a situation with a smile.
When it’s 2 a.m. and you’ve just finished your third cup of coffee from Stacks, remember to breathe, and you will be OK.
