Breathe

Today as I was working and really CONCENTRATING on something I suddenly noticed. . . . I wasn't breathing. Becoming interested in this I started to do little thinking and a little searching. I have taken several courses on BRAIN GYM (braingym.org) which is a technique I use in my teaching. It employs simple enjoyable movements that relax the body and focus the brain. I remembered hearing something about breathing - and how important it is (duh) - I don't mean just the shallow breathing we do to keep our heart beating, or the rhythmic in and out breathing of excersize - I mean some really DEEP breathing. In Brain Gym there is a movement called BELLY BREATHING. I looked it up, it says:
When breathing is shallow, lifting only the rib cage, the oxygen supply to the brain is limited. When one breathes intentionally deeply there is abundant oxygen for higher brain functions. No wonder I was struggling and working so hard, I was giving my brain little to NO oxygen!
Here are some other benefits of deep breathing: Relaxation of the central nervous system, imporved inflection and expression, heightened energy level and an improved attention span. Keep breathing, it makes thinking so much easier.
(Brain Gym Teacherr's Edition Revised)