Zoa dives into one of the 7 fundamentals of functional wellness: Breathing. Zoa reminds listeners that our lifestyle holds the power to change how we feel, no matter our age or health hiccups. The star of this episode is breathing—yep, that thing we do all day! Zoa breaks down the four parts of breathing and how mastering it can lead to more energy, less stress, and an overall boost in vitality. So, if you're ready to inhale the good vibes and exhale the bad ones, you're in for a treat! Let’s get breathing!

Takeaways:

• Breathing is more than just automatic; it can be a conscious choice we make every day.
• Remember that your lifestyle holds the power to change everything!
• Effective breathing involves understanding your inhale, exhale, and the pauses in between them.
• When we breathe deeply, we allow our bodies to relax, energize, and feel more vibrant.
• Breath is essential for vitality, feeding our brains and muscles with much-needed oxygen.
• Breathing correctly can help reduce stress and enhance our overall wellness journey.

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Find Zoa:

Zen and Vitality with Zoa (zenandvitality.com)

Intentional Vitality Retreats (intentional-vitality.com)

Music Credit goes to Lemon Music Studio at: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWZhZ32YrVV5lvpF7cr1E?si=tnbSklR7SJyPNKiHP4MbHA

Welcome to Sustain youn Vitality, the podcast that gives you a nurturing kick in.

The ass so you can take action every day to feel better, not older.

Your lifestyle holds the power to change how you feel, and no matter your age or health issues, you are in the driver's seat.

I'm your host, Zoa Connor, Functional Wellness Guide at Zen and Vitality with Zoa and retreat leader at Intentional Vitality Retreats.

I'm here to help you figure out how to lower your stress, increase your energy, put yourself into a healing state, boost your drive and pleasure in life, prevent disease, and feel the best that you ever have with no regrets later.

Let's go.

In my work with clients so that they can feel better, not older, we use the seven fundamentals of functional wellness.

One of those fundamentals is breathing.

Breathing is a funny thing because it can happen both automatically and consciously.

Many people regard life as beginning with your first breath outside of your mother's womb and finishing with your last breath before you pass on.

During the time that you are alive, you'll continue breathing.

The question is, how effectively.

So your breath has four parts to it.

There's an inhale where you're bringing in oxygen, energy, and life.

There's a hold at the top where you're making use of all the things that you brought in.

Then there's the exhale, where you're releasing the stale air, the byproducts of your breathing, of your metabolism getting rid of waste products.

And then there's the hold at the bottom that gives you the desire to want to breathe in again.

So for some people, they have a hard time breathing in.

Other people have a hard time holding.

Yet others have a hard time blowing out and releasing.

And many people have trouble waiting to take the next breath in.

When you get to benefit from all of these parts of your breath, you can have full, relaxing, energizing breathing.

The inhale brings in oxygen.

Then you need to distribute that oxygen around the body.

Waste products accumulate by bringing the blood back to the lungs.

And then you can exhale the things that no longer serve you.

For many of my clients, when I meet them for the first time, one of the very first things that I do is have them sit in the rocking chair, lay back, be supported, and I watch them breathe.

And I'm looking to see what's moving, what's not moving.

Does the breath seem fast or slow?

Is the breath shallow and deep?

Is the chest moving?

Is the belly moving?

Is the spine moving?

Are you able to get a full breath in and a Full breath out.

What happens when you deepen the inhale and you take in more oxygen?

Can you handle all that oxygen or have you gotten used to having very little?

Are you able to effectively blow the air out?

Is it happening from the chest and the abdomen?

Is it happening from the shoulders, which is a stressful breath?

Breathing is important for vitality, for energy and for relaxation.

Pilates teaches breathing that's got a focus of activating your core muscles.

But in order to do that, you have to release the tension through the chest so that you can allow your belly to work.

Yoga has a focus of relaxation for many people and also can be energizing.

The focus tends to be on creating a slow exhale when you breathe out because of how that activates and calms the nervous system.

For many people, they're holding so much stress in their chest that the chest doesn't move.

And it's all belly breathing.

And we do want the belly to move, but we don't want it to be the only thing that moves.

That destabilizes your spine.

It makes your brain uncomfortable.

It makes your lower back hold tension.

So we want everything to move.

Your inhale encourages your spine to arch.

Your exhale encourages your spine to bend forward.

Does that happen automatically for you?

Does that happen naturally for you?

Or is it work to create movement?

Movement is hard.

When you exhale, are you able to activate the lower abdominals and the pelvic floor?

When you inhale, does your breath go all the way down to the pelvic floor and lower abdominals?

How do your shoulders participate?

If your hands go up on your head and you leave them there, does breathing get easier or harder?

And as you breathe, do you feel vitality increase?

Do you feel calm increase?

Do you feel like you can think better?

Is it stressful to breathe?

Breathing is important.

Breath is controlled by your nervous system.

Breathing feeds your brain, it feeds your muscles, it feeds your stabilizing system.

And as you breathe, what do you think about?

Are you thinking about you?

Are you thinking about your body?

Are you thinking about yourself or other people?

How do you need to improve your breathing?

Let me know how I can help you.

And remember, breathing is only one of the fundamental basic ideas of wellness.

If the Sustain youn Vitality podcast is helping you understand what you need to feel fabulous in every way, with the least amount of effort, please share the show with someone who also needs it.

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The Sustain youn Vitality podcast is a gift from Zenin.

Vitality with Zoa LLC and Intentional Vitality Retreats based in the State of Maryland, usa.

All the podcast things planning, recording, editing, producing have all been done by me, Zoa Connor, Ph.D.

even though you can call me doctor, I'm not a medical professional and your safety is your responsibility.

By listening to this POD podcast and understanding that any movement, nutrition, lifestyle or health protocols discussed, you are agreeing to take full responsibility for your actions.

Zen and Vitality with Zoa are not responsible for any injuries or issues that may occur.

This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical, wellness, nutrition, lifestyle or movement and fitness advice.

Always practice any fitness or movement related activities in a safe environment.

I make no claims about the effectiveness of the techniques or protocols discussed for you or any specific results that you may achieve.

I recommend you consult with your healthcare professional before changing your diet, exercise, routine or healthcare plan.

Zen and Vitality with Zoa and the guest of this podcast podcast are not liable for any injuries or health problems that may arise from following the information presented.