In this month of hectic paces, I'm going to share a "Breath of the Month."  But first we need to talk about the breath in general.    Breathing is something that we tend to not think about.  It happens without our having to think about it.  But consider that we can live weeks without food, days without water...how long can we live without air?  And how much more do we think about food and water than breathing?  Perhaps our priorities should be reconsidered!  Talk to anyone who has had an asthma attack, anaphylaxis or suffers from emphysema and they will have a different appreciation for the importance of breathing. 
     The beauty of breath begins in our autonomic nervous system.  This is the part of the nervous system that functions without our conscious attention.  Thanks to the regulatory function of the respiratory center in the brain's medulla oblongata, we do not have to "remember" to breathe.  Whether we're sleeping, jogging, engrossed in a thrilling project or a daydream, our respiratory center keeps the breath going.  Incidentally, respiratory arrest, possibly resulting in death, may be caused by alcohol, morphine, narcotics and other drugs that depress this same respiratory center.
     Our diaphragm is designed to be our primary muscle of breathing.  The diaphragm is a thin, dome shaped muscle that runs horizontally, separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.  Hang with me through this science class reminder -- when we inhale, the diaphragm lowers, increasing the volume/size of the chest cavity which decreases the pressure in the lungs, which causes the air in our surroundings to rush into the lungs to fill up the newly created space and balance the air pressures.  Exhalation occurs in reverse when the diaphragm relaxes back up into the chest cavity, decreasing its volume/size, increasing its pressure and forcing air out of the nose and/or mouth.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 22,000 times a day this wonderful interaction takes place. 
     There are also secondary muscles of respiration and a number of chemical factors that participate in the overall process of breathing.  And keep in mind that the primary goals of breathing are to provide oxygen to our tissues and to remove carbon dioxide - which are complicated reactions all on their own.  These are all well understood parts of respiration.
     Less well understood are some of the other interactions between the respiratory and the nervous systems.  While systems of yoga have claimed awareness of this for centuries, modern science has only recently begun to study the effects of "nostril dominance."  It has been well established that our right and left brains have different strengths and functions.  It appears that we also have an alternating pattern of breathing through the right and left nostrils which then has an impact on the brain's right and left hemisphere functions and our nervous system. 
     So what does this all have to do with the hectic month of December?  Well, although breathing is automatic, there are a number of things we do in our daily life that constrict our breathing and make it much less efficient.  Things like chronic stress and worry that keep us on alert, tightening and overuse of the secondary muscles of respiration (in the neck and upper chest), poor posture, certain fashion choices and racing around with our to-do lists without time to relax all contribute to this inefficiency.  Unfortunately, it can be a vicious cycle with stress and poor breath feeding on each other. 
     Thankfully, breathing is one of our usually automatic bodily functions that we can also voluntarily control.  So when we see how our breath can influence our body, we can start to use it in ways that promote our health.  I would bet we all have experience in using the breath to impact the nervous system.  Who has not told a child - or been told - to take a deep breath when crying so uncontrollably that we cannot speak or catch our breath.  Or when we are angry to the point of explosion.  Even if we didn't understand the physiology of the command, we knew it would help calm us down.  Yet we need not wait to be at such a crisis point to use the breath to promote health and relaxation.  It is within our grasp every moment of every day - it only requires our attention. 
     December's Breath of the Month is called  Alternate Nostril Breathing.  Known in yoga circles as Nadhi Sodhana, it is a simple technique that is extremely calming and balancing.  It integrates both sides of the brain and promotes relaxation.  A study published just this year showed Alternate Nostril Breathing to increase parasympathetic (the relaxation side of the nervous system) activity as evidenced by a decrease in pulse rate, respiration rate, and diastolic blood pressure.  These results were measured after a daily, 15-minute practice for four weeks.  Imagine that you could get to Christmas Day with a more relaxed body and mind and maybe lower blood pressure too!
     Sit comfortably (or stand! - I used to use this in my theater days to calm my butterflies backstage before an entrance) and close your eyes.  Place your right thumb so it is at your right nostril and your right ring finger resting near your left nostril.  Your 2nd and 3rd fingers can rest lightly on your forehead, or curl under - whatever is most comfortable for you.  They are not doing anything active during this exercise.  Begin by closing the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale completely through the right nostril.  Then inhale through the right nostril.  Close the right nostril with your thumb, release your ring finger and exhale through the left nostril.  Inhale through the left nostril.  Close the left nostril, then release your thumb and exhale through the right nostril.  You are back to the beginning - this is one cycle.  Continue the pattern -- Inhale right, close right, exhale left.  Inhale left, close left, exhale right.  It will become more automatic as you practice - I promise! 
     A couple tips -- 1.  This cannot be done with a plugged up nose!  Do not force the breath.  If blowing your nose doesn't open up a nostril, you might try a neti pot.  Otherwise, wait until later to do this exercise.  2.  Be gentle in this breathing.  Try to notice that your exhale is at least as long as your inhale, and longer is fine. 
3.  You don't have to do this for 15 minutes to get a benefit.  If you only have time for 5 minutes - that's great. 
     Start using your breath to promote your health!  You'll have more energy, yet be more relaxed, your digestion will improve, your skin will be rosier, your mind will be more focused....  No special equipment to buy, in fact, it's FREE!!! No better bargain this time of year!