When it comes to breathing there are two types of people:

• those that do it
• those that don’t

If you are from the second category, don’t bother reading on.  My advice only applies to those who have discovered how vital breathing can be to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  As we breath in and out all day long we create certain habits.  Some can be very detrimental over the long term if you are not made aware of them.

• Posture- try this:  stick your chin way out, and roll your shoulders forward.  Now try to take a deep breath.  Next, sit up straight with your head over your chest and your shoulders pulled back and breath again.  The first type of posture compresses the thoracic cavity and limits breathing.  Think about it the next time you are slumped in front of a computer for a few hours.  Low oxygen can make you feel strangled, if you know what I mean.  If you can get more O2 to your brain, it is more likely to perform well.
• Core strength- One of the so-called ‘core muscles’ is the diaphragm.  In normal, everyday breathing, you should use your diaphragm, rather than your chest, to expand your lungs.  A simple way to check:  stick your belly out when you inhale.  Your guts need move out of the way in order for your diaphragm to pull down on those lungs.  A stronger core will lower your chances of back pain.  So, think “pot belly” whenever you are engaged in day-to-day breathing (versus exertion when those auxiliary rib muscles can expand the lungs even further).
• Blood Pressure-  Stay with me here.  One function of the heart is to pump oxygen throughout the body so that your tissues have what they need.  If you only breath with the top third of your lungs–because of bad posture, and neglecting your diaphragm–your heart has to work harder to get the oxygen delivered to the rest of your body.  High blood pressure may result.  High blood pressure is linked to lots of health problems, including an early death from heart disease.  So, rather than die early, just take a few minutes each day to practice breathing more effectively.

In summary, breathing right can increase your life span and make you fell better day to day.  There are many more ideas and thoughts out there on correct breathing and I would appreciate comments and replies (maybe from a few yogis?).