The power of our breath: life force and longevity
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breath | /breTH/
the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
life force, animation, vital force
Breathing is an essential component of our respiratory system which functions to manage the exchange of gases and nutrient transport within the body (vital organs and cells). Inspiration is the act of inhalation, bringing oxygen (02) into the body, expiration is the act of exhalation to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the body.
It is more than just an equation, it’s how we live.
Breath as energy
The way that humans convert energy into physical form is through the breath.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the unit of Energy. Energy is derived from the foods we eat, that our bodies break down through digestion into its smaller components (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). Foods are metabolized into ATP at the cellular level through a process called cellular respiration. The exchange of O2 and CO2 are essential to this process and responsible for enabling muscle contraction and cell division.
Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy (as ATP)
When breathing we’re not oxygenating the body so much as we’re breathing out CO2 which is refreshing the O2 in our cells by balancing the CO2 levels and creating more alkalinity in the body. A higher presence of CO2 in the body, increases your heart rate. Your blood also becomes more acidic which leads to greater inflammation within the body and vital organs, and over prolonged periods of time can lead to dis-ease and illness.
Lung capacity tied to lifespan
The greatest indicator of life span wasn’t genetics, diet, or the amount of daily exercise, as many had suspected. It was lung capacity.
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Between the ages of 30-50 you lose 15-16% of lung capacity. After 50, you lose more, but you can increase lung capacity by 30% with exercise [Source: James Nestor, School of Greatness Podcast Episode 1434]. Symptoms of decreased lung capacity include:
shortness of breath
lower energy, decreased stamina and endurance
decline in general focus, memory and concentration
susceptibility to respiratory illnesses
impaired metabolic and digestive functions
Much like how resistance and weight training helps build bone density and muscular strength, practicing deep breathing techniques encourages lung capacity and longevity. The term “use it or lose it” aptly describes how our care and maintenance of our lungs equates to quality of life and lifespan.
Breathing is an autonomic process that we don’t have to think about in order for it to function, however, we do have the power to control how we breathe. We can direct conscious awareness to the style and depth to that which directly influences our mind, behavior and vitality.
Breathing is energy. Breathing is life. It’s all connected.
