How to Determine if You Are Breathing Correctly

Breathing methods allow you to become grounded and focused. But how do you tell you’re breathing correctly? Breathing is a natural part of existing, and it happens automatically. 95% of the world pays no attention to the life entering their lungs.

In order to become great you must be as conscious as possible. This is what breathing properly gives you, this is what being grounded is. Total control of your body and mind. 

Many people say in order to meditate and breath properly you need to sit on a cushion and meditate. You don’t need to do that. You need to do whatever works best for you. Meditation cushions can help, but you need to be able to ground yourself in any circumstance.

You can sit still and meditate, you can also lay in bed after you wake up for ten minutes and do breathing methods, then work into your morning routine.  To breathe correctly, breathe manually, every breath causes your diaphragm to raise and fall.

Rickson Gracie, a Brazilian Jujitsu pioneer, and a modern day samurai always trains his breathing. He believes breathing connects the body to the mind for success in and outside of the ring. You can read his secrets and absorb them.  He knows it allows his mind to enter a state of purity. He would see his opponents moves before they even knew what they were doing. Breathing made him unstoppable, it allowed him to slow time.

Nothing would distract Rickson Gracie from his goal of conquering his opponent. By submission, or stealing their conscious through violent knockout. Rickson knew his breathing was a key component in controlling his emotions. Emotions are an unnatural attachment that don’t belong anywhere.

Rickson did breathe work as often as he could. If he followed a morning routine, he’d be starting every day in the perfect state. Rickson’s son Kron Gracie is now carrying on in his father’s legacy. While he has big shoes to fill, if his father has taught him anything he’ll be a big name in Mixed Martial Arts in years to come.

How To Tell If You’re Breathing Correctly

Since most people have no idea how to breathe, it’s easy to get lost when looking for the best way to take in oxygen.

Since this is an automatic process it does not make it easy to pay attention to.

Abdominal Movement: Every breath you take your stomach should expand when taking oxygen in, and retract when you let go of air. Your diaphragm where the breath takes place is lower in your torso, while most people think it takes place in the chest. When you begin doing this you’ll notice an almost instant difference in how you feel, and how you think. Your focus will increase as well.

Deep Breathing: Your breathing rhythm should be controlled, and deep. Think of the waves of the ocean. They come in, they pause, they leave, they pause. Even in nature pace and rhythm is present. There is beauty everywhere if you look hard enough. Inside you, and the world.

Signs You Aren’t Breathing Correctly

Shoulder Movement: Anytime your shoulders move while you’re breathing, you’ve failed. The breath only takes place in the abdominal region.  No where else. If your shoulders raise up, or push out, it’s wrong.

Shallow breathing: What do you do when you panic? Shallow, weak breaths. This is weak breathing. Deep breathing calms you, and brings you to a place of peace where you can focus on whatever you want.

There is never a reason to take a  shallow breath. Ever.

How To Tell If You’re Grounded

Being grounded means you have no thoughts, or single controlled thoughts only.

that is all.