Well, of course, everyone breathes – it’s natural.  We generally don’t think twice about it which is miraculous in itself.  The wisdom of the body is such that we breathe constantly day and night, asleep and awake, without much conscious awareness of it. 

But -there are times when it’s wise to pay attention to your breathing such as when you engaging in strenuous physical activity or when you are anxious or when you need to communicate in a strong voice.  All of these relate to cheerleading! 

First, let me dispel a myth.  It is not wise to “take a deep breath” when you are stressed.  As a matter of fact, this is hard to do if you are in a stressful situation because your body is in a fight-flight mode and hence you are breathing shallowly and quickly.  So, what to do?  Exhale!  Yes, that’s right, rather than taking a deep breath in, exhale as slowly and as long as you can. 

Go ahead, try it!  As you exhale, slowly now, you will notice your shoulders relaxing first, then the rest of your body.  You will also be able to take in a nice deep breath because you have relaxed enough to do so and you will have created sufficient space in your lungs. 

If you practice focusing on your exhale, you will get to the point when one slow exhale can get you in the right mental and physical spot for practice or performance or competition. 

And a positive side effect of profound breathing is that it will deepen and strengthen your voice.  A deeper voice carries better than a high voice so before you lead a cheer – exhale!