Our mind is made up of the subconscious and conscious. The subconscious is in control of all involuntary functions of our body, like heartbeat and breathing, and the conscious is in control of all voluntary functions like logic. Einstein said that our subconscious runs us 90 percent of the time—like the part of an iceberg under the water—and the conscious 10 percent—like the tip of the iceberg. Our mind is like a computer; the subconscious processes 40 million bits of information per second and the conscious 40 bits of information per second. Our mind holds a mixture of negative and positive thoughts, beliefs, feelings and emotions.

When it comes to breathing, we just do it. It is controlled by the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously, but unconsciously (subconscious) directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat and digestive processes. Most people assume their breathing must be fine because they are alive. That’s a myth. Our health may be affected because our breathing may be an issue, especially if we are breathing through our mouth and chest muscles and not through the nose using our diaphragm.

Mouth breathing is the incorrect way of breathing, and the catalyst for the diaphragm to become lazy in the process of and for breathing. Mouth breathing uses more energy, leading to tiredness and the wearing down of coping mechanisms. The nose becomes blocked, making it even harder to nose breathe. It might feel like one is always stressed or short of breath, fatigued or tired much of the time. Mouth breathing can cause an overbite and incorrect jaw formation in children.

Nose breathing is the correct way to bring air into our lungs. It acts as a filtration system for air coming into the lungs, warming, humidifying, cleaning and sterilizing the air going into the lungs. Nose breathing helps strengthen the immune system and immunity, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, release and reduce stress and relax the nervous system. It can also aid in better quality of sleep and helps with cognitive function, focus and mindfulness. Correct oxygenation takes place in the lower part of the lungs because we are breathing using our diaphragm, with a minimum of 20 percent more oxygen intake than mouth breathing with nose breathing.

The Buteyko Breathing Method (BBM) is breathing retraining or reprogramming with simple and effective exercises. This technique teaches one how to do this, quickly and easily, normalizing breathing for the body’s needs. Dysfunctional breathing or mouth breathing (over-breathing) has a negative impact on our health over a period. The BBM aims to reverse this vicious cycle and re-train the brain on how to breathe normally, well and correctly. Within a few sessions, breathing patterns and rhythm can normalize with clients feeling better within themselves—enabling them to enjoy life more.

Science tells us correct breathing is vital for the normal functioning of the body and it’s the one involuntary function of the body we can control. On average, a person takes in roughly 22,000 breaths per day, so learning to retrain the subconscious to breathe correctly can be life changing.

Alexia Clonda is offering Natural Awakenings readers a one-hour mindset and breathing session for the special rate of $125 (regularly $165). A five-session package can also be purchased in advance at that special offer price for $625, a savings of $200. A Virtual Mind Breathing Webinar will be held in January and a live, in-person Mind Breathing Workshop will be conducted in February 2022; dates to be announced.

Alexia Clonda is a Champion Squash Player and was a chronic asthmatic dependent on steroids who learned the Buteyko Breathing Method in 1996 and it changed her life. She now educates and teaches people how to breathe properly and how to transform their mindset for better health and quality of life. Available for: classes, workshops, one-on-one consultations, online consultations, webinars, mentoring, coaching and motivational speaking. Connect at 
TheMindBreathingEdge.com. See ad, page 2.