Shake It Up!

Deep -Sighing a lot lately? Your body may be telling you to move it!

Have you noticed, or have those around you observed and commented, that you’re “deep sighing” a lot lately? If so, you’re not alone. Taking a deep breath and exhaling with force is actually your body’s natural way of literally shaking your insides up in order to promote change!

From a physiological point of view, sighing improves lung function as well as helps to regulate stress responses. That deep intake of air fully inflates all those little air sacs in your lungs and is  a lung exercise that increases the productivity of gas exchange within them. (More Here)

The extra boost of oxygen helps clear thought processes and increases focus. Not only that. but sighing actually engages the parasympathetic system, which causes your heart-rate and blood pressure to lower, and reduces the overall effects of stress in your body! (More Here)

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, sighing shakes up the Liver in particular. The Liver is most active in Spring, and is most susceptible to pathologies at this time of year. This organ is intricately connected to our emotions in that it governs our overall mood while simultaneously being affected by that mood! So in the Spring season when our Livers are naturally cleansing, sometimes a little extra movement is needed to keep things flowing smoothly. The sharp exhale of a sigh, sends a little more blood into (and out of) the liver. Movement in general, but more specifically the movement of blood, is key to helping the Liver cleanse and keeping it as healthy as possible. When the Liver is sluggish, tempers are higher, blood pressure may be raised, moods might be depressed, lack of motivation prevails, and headaches frequent. 

So the next time you catch yourself randomly sighing, get up and shake it up! Stand up beside your desk and do a quick 10 squats or jumping jacks. Go for a quick walk to the bathroom or water cooler. If you can’t get up, stretch your arms up and back as far as you can or literally shake your limbs. Bursts of movement like this not only help energize you, they also give you a quick surge of dopamine, making your day happier all around!