Changing how you breathe can improve your health

Lifestyle  –  Judy Murphy learns that most  of us are breathing with only one fifth of our lung capacity

It’s the one thing we need to do in order to stay alive, but most of us don’t realise that the way we breathe can affect our health, either for good or for bad.

In fact, most of us aren’t even aware that we even breathe, because it’s just something we do automatically.

But how often in a crisis have you heard someone say ‘calm down and take a deep breath’? That, according to Claire Haugh is simply an expression of the fact that people know breathing properly can calm us and help us.

Claire and her partner Michael Blake, who live in Clonbur, are in the final stages of organising a major conference that will see almost 200 members of the International Breathwork Foundation, representing 27 countries, gather at the Delphi Mountain Resort in Leenane this Friday for a week of workshops, seminars and meetings, all based around breathing and its role in health.

The 21st Global Inspiration Conference, which kicks off this Friday, will feature health workers from around the world who treat a variety of physical and mental issues by using the most fundamental resource people have – that of breathing.

Many of them are experts in other disciplines including psychotherapy, psychology, massage and shiatsu and incorporate breathwork into their treatments, says Claire.

Given that most of us are only breathing with 20% of our lung capacity there is room for improvement.  The more efficiently we breathe, the more oxygen our bodies receive – which benefits our digestion, nervous system, circulation and so much more, she explains.

Areas being explored at the Breathwork Conference will include rebirthing, chanting, Buteyko breathing, Transformation breathing and more besides. There will also be a sweat lodge ceremony, yoga and firewalking among other activities.

The international Global Inspiration Conference takes place in different countries every year and this is its first time in Ireland. Not just any old place in Ireland, though, but one of the most beautiful. However, Delphi is a difficult place to access without having your own transport

“It’s a logistical challenge,” says Claire as Michael sits beside her on the computer, finalising details of the event. They are organising a shuttle service from Galway City for people who are travelling here by train, and, given that participants will be arriving in the city at different times, there are many pieces to this logistical jigsaw.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.