• Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
    • Television "After Hours"
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book
  Prairie Doc

Blog
Prairie Doc® Perspectives

Take a Moment to Breathe

5/1/2022

 

Take a Moment to Breathe

By Andrew Ellsworth, M.D.
 
The act of breathing is essential to life and can be done with or without thinking about it. You can control your breath and vary it, but eventually air must come in, and air must go out. 
 
The breath of life and breathing exercises are an important aspect of many religions. In the book of Genesis, when God created man, he formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Several Eastern religions use controlled breathing in meditation and prayer, helping in the processes of consciousness, mindfulness, and visualization. 
 
In this time of increased stress and anxiety over money, wars, and numerous other matters, I encourage us all to take time to focus on our breathing. 
 
One of the simplest ways to combat stress and anxiety is to breathe. It does not cost any money and does not have to take much time. However, deep breathing can decrease your stress, help you feel calmer, reduce pain, reduce your blood pressure, help you focus, and improve digestion. It can also increase your energy and improve your immunity. 
 
How do you do it? Easy! Just do it. Make sure you are somewhere safe and close your eyes. Breathe in gently through your nose, take about four to five seconds, and fill your belly and chest. Perhaps hold it for another couple seconds. Then release it through your open mouth over five seconds or more, whatever is comfortable. Repeat this at least five times.
 
When I have patients that have anxiety or panic attacks, I often take a little time to practice this with them. Every time I feel calmer myself, and I hope they find it calming as well. 
 
This week, our television program, On Call with the Prairie Doc®, is celebrating its 20th season of providing truthful, tested, and timely medical information. We are taking time to breathe in and reflect on our past, feeling grateful for our founders, the late Dr. Richard Holm and his wife Joanie, and celebrating the contributions of everyone on our team.

Thank you, our readers, for taking the time to read our columns through the years, and I hope there are many more to come. Now, please take a moment to do some deep breathing. First you breathe in, then breathe out. 
 
Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org and on Facebook featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc® a medical Q&A show celebrating its twentieth season of truthful, tested, and timely medical information, broadcast on SDPB and streaming live on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.                                     

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

PRAIRIE DOC® MEDIA IS A PART OF HEALING WORDS FOUNDATION.

FIND SCIENCE-BASED PEDIATRIC MEDICAL INFORMATION ON OUR SISTER SITE. 
Healing Words Foundation logo
Play Eat Sleep logo
  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
    • Television "After Hours"
  • Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book