Take a moment and become conscious of the act of filling your lungs with air. How do you normally breathe? Is it short or shallow sips of air? Or do you take long, deep drinks of air?

Oxygen is essential to sustain life. We can live for days without water, a month without food. But, we can only survive a few minutes without oxygen! It makes up 60% of our body.

Breathing is an autonomic body function, as is blinking. This means that we never have to really think about it or concentrate on doing it. But, when we experience physical or emotional trauma, stress, or anger, it is the first body function to become inhibited.

When tense, we breathe in a much more shallow manner, often suspending our breath for short periods. Air only contains about 21% oxygen. So, if we inhibit oxygen intake through shallow breaths, our body becomes deprived of oxygen.

Think of a candle flame. If you reduce the amount of oxygen available to it, the candle will only burn with a small flame.

We need oxygen for all the major processes of the body...respiration, digestion, assimilation, elimination and reproduction. Without oxygen, these essential body functions are compromised. Alleviating constipation or digestive problems could be as simple as learning to breath more fully!

Cells use oxygen to burn sugar for energy. Without oxygen, sugar’s carbon turns to carbon monoxide instead of carbon dioxide. Our energy level decreases. We feel mentally dull and lethargic. The body’s temperature lowers, leaving it vulnerable to virus and anaerobic bacteria attack.

Anaerobic bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungus cannot survive in oxygen. They need carbon dioxide to thrive. The body’s defense systems rely on oxygen to produce phagocytic leucocytes and to keep body temperature high so that it can "burn off" invaders.

In addition, oxygen scavenges other free radicals, rendering them harmless. It breaks down toxins. It aids in the healing process by stimulating osteoclastic and osteoblastic activity and collagen matrix formation.

Oxygen is also required by cells to produce strong defensive enzyme shields to repel disease microbes. Weakened, damaged or invaded, they begin to replicate as cancer or virus cells.

Shallow breathing is not the only way we become deprived of oxygen. In winter we tend to stay indoors, breathing stale air. Heated air dries out mucous membranes that are part of our defense mechanisms. Indoor air contains many pollutants and irritants such as dust mites, animal dander, mold spores and dust.

The diaphram is the central muscle of the human body. It is the mediator of all rythms biologically and emotionally.

This dome-shaped muscle is strategically located in the centre of your torso to connect your heart, stomach, lungs and spine. The heart rests over it. The liver and spleen lie below it.

Attached to your spine, the diaphram is the principle muscle of breath. Its movement affects your posture, digestion, elimination, and respiration.

As you inhale the diaphram contracts down pressing on your organs and opening up your chest. Air rushes in. As you exhale, the diaphram relaxes. This raises it, pushing air up and out.

Since this constant movement essentially massages the organs, regular, deep breathing will increase digestion, improve elimination, strengthen immunity, and calm you. By simply increasing the intake of oxygen you can reduce pain and fear, increase vitality, reduce depression and stress, andcreate emotional balance.

Picture the lungs divided into three layers. The top 1/3 nourishes the spiritual or etheric body. The centre section nourishes the emotions and psychological state. The lower third nourishes the physical body.

Most people use only the top 1/3 of their lungs. Health quickly fades and depression or emotional unbalance results when we don’t use all of our lungs in order to replenish all aspects of our being.

To breath properly, there should be no pauses between inhaling and exhaling. Draw air into the lowest portion of your lungs first and let your lungs fill up like a bucket. Hold your hand over your diaphram to feel its pronounced movement.

As you exhale, push air out of the lowest portion of the lungs first. Collapse the lungs from bottom to top, expelling air in the order you inhaled it. This releases carbon dioxide quickly so that you do not become light-headed. After six or seven breaths, you will notice how much more grounded, calm and in balance you feel.

This style of breathing will induce meditation or alpha brain waves. It integrates all levels of the body—mind, body and spirit.

Conscious breathing techniques can help you handle stress, trauma, or pain. Breathing can help to keep you focused in the moment, rather than worrying about the past or future. Awareness of your breathing patterns can make you conscious of what you are really feeling at that time.

Since deep breathing connects our body, emotions and mind, inducing a feeling of serenity, balance and joy, it is used in many psychological therapies such as hypnotherapy and breath therapy. Deep breathing is also used in yoga, Tai Chi, martial arts, Ki Kou and Qi Gong.