Woman to Woman

(WSVN) --- You're stuck late at work...

Running to a meeting...

Or picking up and dropping off the kids at school.

When you stop, its usually because you're stuck in traffic...

But when was the last time you actually stopped to breathe.

I mean really breathe.

Liz Caravia of "Pilates By Liz" says, "In essence, we should be doing this every minute of the day, inhaling long, exhaling long. We prevent disease, we look better, we feel better."

Liz Caravia literally spends her days at the Zone Fitness Center in South Miami teaching women how to breathe.

A lesson that can be life altering... Just ask Mayra Casanova.

She used to weigh 250 pounds... after Gastrobypass surgery, she lost 130 pounds.

Mayra says, "I was an overeater. I would deal with stress by eating overexcessively."

She's been able to keep it off, simply by breathing.

She says, "If I find myself in front of the fridge, I want to eat, to deal with this situation, I'll step back, I'll breathe and I'm back in control."

Beatriz asks, "So Liz, how does it work?"

"We should be inhaling through the nose and exhaling out the mouth."

Liz says daily stresses force us to constantly shallow breath with our chest and shoulders.

She says deep breathing makes a difference -- by changing our reactions to actions.

Liz says, "Especially if you find yourself very stressed out, the rage driving, and things that we do on our daily basis, if you just take a breath for that one second, your response will be different."

If you want to give it a try... Start by taking a deep breath in for five seconds, then exhale.

"(Place your hands on the ribs and you cup with the thumbs in the back, so you can feel the ribs, you inhale and you can feel them expand, don't lift through the shoulders. Now close the ribs, belly button into the spine."

Liz says you can try it anytime of day, even in your car or while in line at the supermarket.

To make it easier, think about a relaxing word or thought, while you inhale.

As for Mayra, she was skeptical at first, but now, takes the time everyday to breathe.

Mayra says, "You're born with your first breath, and you die with that last breath, it's essential to your being, and you can't really understand it unless you do it."

Liz says breathing can change your poster, your complexion by releasing toxins and can even change your attitude.

So ladies, remember, when you stop to smell the roses, really breathe.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: bcanals@wsvn.com