What would you say – when it comes to breathing, oxygen is the good guy and carbon dioxide is the bad guy, right? We want oxygen and we get rid of carbon dioxide, isn’t that so?
If you have ever been to a yoga class you must have been instructed to take a deep breath. It’s one of the phrases most teachers will use and more than once in a single hour. Taking a deep breath is perceived as an epitome of calm. We are encouraged to breathe fully and to fill up our chests to reduce stress and anxiety. Taking in as much oxygen as possible must mean we are nourishing every cell with one of the most essential elements for life, right? Then getting rid of all the carbon dioxide also makes sense, no?
Well, not really. Breathing is a balancing act too. And breathing enough, which often means breathing less, is actually what is most beneficial for us.
So let’s talk about the hidden side of carbon dioxide.
What is respiratory alkalosis
Breathing is not just about taking in the right amount of oxygen, but also about expelling the right amount of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide that you breathe out is derived from carbonic acid circulating in our blood. When we breathe rapidly and in our upper chest, we may expel too much carbon dioxide. Therefore, we get rid of too much carbonic acid and your blood becomes more alkaline than is appropriate for our body’s needs. This is known as respiratory alkalosis. When this happens certain unwelcome responses take place automatically:
- Muscles become tenser and more prone to cramping.
- Less blood (and less oxygen) gets through to muscles and brain due to tension.
- The sympathetic nervous system is more easily aroused leading to apprehension and anxiety, and even panic attacks.
- We become more sensitive to pain.
Can you suffocate in oxygen
Carbon dioxide is actually much more than a waste product of our breathing. The levels of that gas in our body are what makes it possible for the cells to absorb oxygen from the blood. If the level of carbon dioxide are low – if you have breathed out more of it or if you have hyperventilated – then you may have a lot of oxygen in your body that cannot reach the cells while they are actually suffocating.
How do we breathe to disturb the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide:
Breathing rapidly
Breathing in the upper chest
Mouth breathing
Deep breathing
And one last very important thing:
Being unfit encourages upper chest breathing. If your overall fitness is poor, the strength of your breathing muscles will also be poor. This also encourages these unhealthy breathing habits.
In yoga we address our general strength and we tone all our muscles, including the diaphragm which the main muscles for respiration. We also have the opportunity to retrain ourselves into better breathing – through the nose, into the belly, slow and not too much. So next time when you are instructed to take the good old deep breath in a class, you know what to do.
Related articles:
Stress can lead to heart attacks and stroke
4 reasons to quit breathing through the mouth now
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
