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5 Benefits of Deep Breathing · The Dohnal Health Minute

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  Hey there, this is Dr. Chris Donnell from Donnell
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  Chiropractic here in Nashville, and I'm so glad
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  you tuned in today. We're going to talk about
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  something you're doing right now without even
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  thinking about it, breathing. But here's the
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  thing. Most of us aren't breathing nearly as
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  well as we could be. And when you learn to breathe
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  deeply and intentionally, it changes everything.
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  Your stress levels, your pain, even how your
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  spine feels at the end of the day. So let's dive
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  into five incredible benefits of deep breathing
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  that I see play out with my patients every single
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  week. All right, benefit number one is stress
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  reduction. And listen, I know we all talk about
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  stress, but deep breathing actually flips a switch
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  in your nervous system. When you take slow deep
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  breaths, you're activating what's called your
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  parasympathetic nervous system. That's your rest
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  and digest mode. It tells your body, hey, we're
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  safe. We can relax. I see so many patients who
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  are stuck in fight or flight mode all day long.
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  and their muscles are tight, their shoulders
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  are up by their ears, five minutes of deep breathing
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  can start to unwind all of that tension. Benefit
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  number two, and this one surprises people, better
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  posture. When you breathe deeply, you're using
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  your diaphragm, that big dome -shaped muscle
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  under your ribs. And when your diaphragm works
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  the way it's supposed to, it actually helps stabilize
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  your spine. Think about it. If you're taking
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  shallow breaths up in your chest, your neck and
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  shoulder muscles are doing all the work. But
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  when you breathe down into your belly, your core
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  engages, your rib cage expands, and your whole
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  structure gets more support. It's like built
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  -in spinal stability. Number three is pain relief.
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  Now I'm not saying deep breathing will cure a
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  herniated disc, but it absolutely helps manage
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  pain. When you're in pain, you tend to hold your
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  breath or breathe really shallow. That creates
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  more tension, which creates more pain. It's a
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  nasty cycle. Deep breathing breaks that cycle.
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  It increases oxygen flow to your tissues, it
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  relaxes your muscles, and it even triggers the
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  release of endorphins, which are your body's
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  natural painkillers. I teach this to my patients
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  all the time, especially the ones dealing with
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  chronic neck or back pain. Benefit number four
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  is improved focus and mental clarity. Your brain
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  needs oxygen, lots of it. When you're stressed
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  or slouched over a computer all day, you're not
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  getting full breaths and your brain isn't getting
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  the fuel it needs. Deep breathing pumps fresh
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  oxygen to your brain and you'll notice the difference
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  almost immediately. Clearer thinking, better
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  focus, less brain fog. It's like hitting a reset
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  button for your mind. And finally, benefit number
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  five, better sleep. If you struggle with falling
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  asleep or staying asleep, try this tonight. Lie
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  down, put one hand on your belly, and take slow
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  deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose for
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  a count of four, hold for four, and breathe out
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  through your mouth for six. Do that for just
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  five minutes, and I promise you'll feel your
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  whole body start to relax. Deep breathing before
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  bed tells your body it's time to wind down. So
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  here's what I want you to do today. Set a timer
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  on your phone for five minutes. Find a quiet
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  spot. Sit up tall and just breathe. In through
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  your nose, deep into your belly, and out through
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  your mouth. Do this once a day and I think you'll
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  be amazed at how much better you feel. Now if
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  you're dealing with tension, pain, or stress
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  that won't let up, come see us at Donald Chiropractic.
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  We'll check your spine, make sure everything's
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  moving the way it should, and give you a personalized
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  plan to feel your best. You can find us right
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  here in Nashville. Thanks for listening. And
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  remember, take a deep breath. Your body will
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  thank you.