Breathing.You might be doing it wrong.

Breathing is an exercise we engage in every day, yet its significance often goes unnoticed. It is the fundamental force that sustains our lives, and yet, many of us take it for granted. Often perceived as an involuntary process, breathing is more than just a biological function—it's a gateway to unlocking our full potential. Inspired by the anime phenomenon Demon Slayer, we delve into the profound connection between breathing and empowerment.

In Demon Slayer, characters harness the power of breathing to achieve extraordinary feats and transcend their human limitations. While the anime portrays an exaggerated version of this concept, it serves as a poignant metaphor for the untapped potential within each of us. By understanding the mechanics of breathing, we can embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-mastery.

How does Breathing Work

At its core, breathing is a complex interplay of muscles, nerves, and organs orchestrated by the respiratory system. When we inhale, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract, expanding the thoracic cavity and drawing air into the lungs. Oxygen from the air diffuses into the bloodstream, fueling every cell in our body with life-sustaining energy. Simultaneously, carbon dioxide, a waste product of cellular metabolism, is expelled as we exhale.

But breathing transcends mere physiology; it is a bridge between mind and body, consciousness and unconsciousness. In Demon Slayer, breathing techniques are not merely physical exercises but spiritual disciplines that awaken dormant potential. Similarly, by cultivating mindfulness and intentionality in our breath, we can tap into reservoirs of inner strength and resilience.

How to become mentally stronger by breathing

You might have heard of a specific breathing style called Box breathing used by the US navy its basically a way to cope with stress and anxiety

1. Take a deep breathe in about 4 - 5 seconds
2. Hold the breathe in for the same time
3. Then let the breather out in the same interval

and watch how your stress leaves alongside it.Reducing stress and anxiety is key in making your mental health strong.

How to become physically stronger by breathing

Now this is a hard question because as I have said already its not a magical way to do this but there is one technique which can really help you

Before you engage in any thing which requires a lot of raw power and strength take a deep breathe and then do the action which sounds very vague but let's elaborate it using a example.

Lets say you are in the gym and you have a 50kg weight in front of you now if you were to normally try to lift it it would be quite challenging but if you took a deep breathe in you might just be able to do it because taking a deep breathe gets more oxygen flowing in your blood boosting your strength and the most important part of this is boosting the boost you get from this. You can boost your oxygen level by practicing breathing and by that I mean every morning make a routine of taking 10 deep breaths in a row and holding your breath for as long as possible if you do this over a period of time you are surely to get some benefits of it.

How to become faster

Speed is one of the most important aspect of deciding a winner of a fight the faster one strikes first and because of that always has an edge your speed can be boosted using breathing by applying the same principle as the physical strength. BUT there is something else here as well one more way to increase your speed and overall stamina is to sync and time your breath by that I mean let's take a example of you running

1. Right before you start running take a breathe
2. After the 4th or 5th step (or whichever you are comfortable with) exhale out.
3. Repeat

This sounds really simple but if done right it is a absolute game changer

Additional Tips

To boost your stamina always try to breath using your abdomen the best way to practice this is whenever you go to sleep place a object on your stomach and try and force your body to breath using your stomach

If you are in a situation where you need to breathe quickly try breathing with your nose and in a situation where you need more power try breathing with the mouth

Thank You