Are you a sigher?

Do people tell you that you tend to let out spontaneous exasperated sighs?

If you so, good for you!

You’re exhaling. Something most people struggle to do.

When we’re stressed, our breathing becomes shallow, as thought its not safe to fully breathe. Most importantly we don’t fully exhale. Its not your fault if you haven’t been exhaling. We’ve been conditioned to not fully exhale. Our breathing as humans synchronizes to those around us. So if you’re around other people who are stressed and are not fully exhaling, you naturally don’t exhale fully either.

Exhaling is essential to relaxing.

And relaxing is essential to healing. 

I find one of the most accessible and easiest ways to relax, is to do some exhaling.

Sighing

Laughing

Humming

Singing

Yelling

These are all exhales.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, people often ask me what’s the latest greatest superfood, diet, supplement or herb. But rather than buying another product or consuming yet another thing, I’d rather modify an everyday habit that is impacting our health. Breathing is one of these everyday things.

There are many breathing practices out there, some sacred and ancient, some backed by compelling research. A simple one that has been helpful for me over the last while is 10 breaths through your nose, to a count of 6 IN, 6 HOLD, 8 OUT. I use my fingers to count out the 10 breaths. If you have 5 minutes, you can do this. It doesn’t need to be an elaborate meditation, with you sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. It can be done while waiting in line at the grocery store, commuting, before or after you eat or even when you go to the bathroom.

If you notice yourself feeling anxious, tense, angry, afraid, sad…  acknowledge your feelings. And try the 6:6:8 breathing or sigh, laugh, hum, sing, yell… it will help you find space to be with the experience.

Lungs process our grief. When we don’t exhale fully, we store grief in our chests. Its a big reason why so many people suffer from heart issues. When our lungs are full of sad dead air, our hearts can’t expand and contract fully.

Which makes us hard hearted. Our hearts don’t have space to feel anymore.

I understand that. Not having space. Feeling tapped out. Burnt out. Overwhelmed by it all. But I wonder if we all exhaled more, whether we’d be able to feel more compassion, more love and kindness for one another. And since all our breathing synchronizes, when you consciously exhale, those around you will begin to exhale more too.

May seem ridiculous, but I believe exhaling could change the world.

If not the whole world, it will change your world. 

Give it a try. Exhale. Exhale. Exhale. Lighten up your lungs and free your heart.