Breath in

What is Breath?

Breath - The air inhaled and/or exhaled from the lungs, though the mouth or nose, during respiration.

The air you breathe in circulates in your blood stream and being carried to all parts of your body. All the cells in your body need oxygen, without it they will die. Your cells use the oxygen to turn food into energy, to build, to move and to reproduce. Breathing can be an unconscious or a conscious act, as long as you are alive then you are breathing even without thinking about it. However, if you want to you can control it as in taking slower, deeper breaths when feeling the need to relax (which is how you should be breathing normally) if you are experiencing a feeling of anxiousness and tension.

What happens in your body when you take a breath:

Basically, it is a chemical exchange.

The Breathing process beings when you inhale (taking a breath in) through your nose or through your mouth, and into your lungs. This causes your lungs to expand and your diaphragm to contract and lower itself down a little. This allows you more space in the lungs so that you can take in more air. Then the pressure in your chest builds up and the oxygen you inhaled passes through your lungs into the arteries. The red blood cells carry the oxygen in your blood which circulates to all parts of your body. The tissue of your body uses the oxygen for heat and energy. After the tissue has finished using the oxygen it turns it into carbon dioxide which is carried back into the lungs through your veins. Upon reaching the lungs, the carbon dioxide is blown out of the lungs via your nose or mouth as you exhale (breathe out). You basically exhale just by relaxing the diaphragm which causes the lungs to deflate just like a bloon and by doing so it forces ("pushes") the air out. 

Did you know? Plants are our Breathing Partners. We inhale the air, use the oxygen in it and release back carbon dioxide. Plants take in and use carbon dioxide and release oxygen. It is no wonder we all tend to feel more relaxed and actually notice how we enjoy taking a deep breath in when we are in a natural environment... After all, what could be more natural?