As a result, people experience both a feeling of exhilaration and an increase in tension. In effect, tension blocks the intake of oxygen. When brought into the body in abundance, oxygen helps people feel better, look better, think more clearly, and function more effectively. Human beings can live without food for months and water for a few weeks, but they only live a few minutes without oxygen. Gabriel Cousens, MD, says that 90 percent of our metabolic energy comes from oxygen, while only 10 percent comes from solid food and water.
Tension decreases the body's ability to bring oxygen into the circulatory system.
Without enough oxygen, that system begins to deteriorate. The first signs can be pain, headaches, and soreness. Often, depression follows. Though using specific breathing techniques to reduce tension sounds like a simple solution, it's takes training to relearn what once came naturally as children. Dr. Goode estimates 90 percent of the American population live with patterns of restricted breathing, usually respiring from the chest only.