Air is pretty useful. Most of us seem to like having it around, even if it’s filled with pollutants. As the old saying goes, “Sure it’s awful, but it’s better than no air at all.”

We have little control over the air supply in our outside environment, but we have a great deal over our inside environment—the air inside our homes and living spaces. If the construction materials in our home are toxic, we have problems. But at least we can try to make sure that things such as furniture and carpets are non-toxic.

There are even some actions we can take to improve the air itself, such as using air-purifying house plants, and perhaps even using beeswax candles, which some say are natural negative ion generators.

Plants

How to Grow Fresh Air
50 house plants that purify your home or office

Breathing

Breathing is good, but having the right stuff (good, clean air) is only the first step. Next is getting it into the body and using it properly.

Most of us are shallow breathers, breathing from the top of our lungs rather than from way down deep, using the entire lung capacity.

Here’s an exercise that will help you improve your breathing. If you do the exercise on a regular basis, your day to day breathing will improve.

Deep Breathing

One of the main reasons many of us are tense is our breathing. Most people breathe very shallowly, using only the top part of their lungs. Deep Breathing allows us to use our entire lungs, providing more oxygen to our bodies, and energizing and rejuvenating every organ and cell in our bodies. It is probably the most effective and beneficial method of relaxation we’ve seen.

  1. Lie on your back.
  2. Slowly relax your body, starting with your feet and moving through every part of your body until you have reached—and relaxed—your face and scalp.
  3. Do a quick check to see if you’ve missed any place. If so, relax it.
  4. Slowly begin to inhale, first filling your lower belly, then your stomach area, and then your chest and the top of your lungs almost up to your shoulders. Hold for a second or two, then begin to exhale. Empty the very bottom of your lungs first, then the middle, then finally the top.
  5. Continue this breathing for four or five minutes. Don’t force your breathing; it’s not a contest to see how much air you can take in. Just do it in a relaxed, peaceful manner.
  6. After a while, imagine that you are resting on a warm, gentle ocean. The sun is shining peacefully on your body. Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale, and that you slowly descend as you exhale.
  7. Continue this relaxing breathing as long as you wish.

Trees

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. They also lower air temperature, provide shade and shelter, cut down noise pollution, improve water quality, and stabilize soil. That’s a lot more than we do. The least we can do is plant more trees.

See our Tree page for useful information.

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