Breathing exercises can be useful to relax you and help relieve stress, problems falling asleep, feelings of pressure, etc. These exercises are also useful tools for therapists, especially in cases of anxiety disorders, in fact some techniques may seem familiar to you. Apparently all you need is a relatively healthy pair of lungs, your breathing, and 10 minutes or less. That’s why I bring you these 6 techniques taken from yoga, meditation and even therapists, of different levels of difficulty and will allow you to find calm without having to spend money on a spa.
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Basic breathing principles: what you need to know
Don’t wait until that fight or flight state. Controlled breathing not only keeps the mind and body functioning as well as they can, but it can also lower blood pressure, promote feelings of calm and relaxation, and even help de-stress.
Although the effects of breathing techniques on anxiety have not yet been studied longitudinally (at least in controlled clinical settings), many experts encourage the use of breathing as a resource for increasing awareness or mindfulness.
Mind over matter: your action plan
In your bedroom, office, or anywhere negativity manages to intrude, consider these 6 techniques to help you stay calm and move forward.
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Sama Vritti or “Equal Breathing”
How to do it: Balance can do the body good, starting with breathing. To begin, inhale for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four as well (all through your nose, which adds a natural resistance to your breathing) Have you got the basics down? People who are more advanced in yoga can target breathing for a count of 6 or 8, with the same goal in mind: calming the nervous system, increasing concentration and reducing stress.
When it works best: Any time, anywhere, but it’s an especially effective technique for before bed. “Similar to counting sheep,” she, a yoga instructor, says, “if you’re having trouble falling asleep, this breathing can help your mind tune out racing thoughts or whatever is distracting you from falling asleep.”
Difficulty level: beginner.
Abdominal breathing techniques
How to do it: With one hand on your chest and one on your belly, inhale deeply through your nose, making sure your diaphragm (not your chest) inflates with enough air to create a widening of your lungs. The goal: 6 to 10 slow breaths per minute, for 10 minutes every day to experience immediate reduction in heart and blood pressure, says respiratory specialist Ella. Do this exercise for 6 to 10 weeks and the benefits may last longer.
When it works best: Before an exam or any stressful event. But keep in mind, “those who operate in a state of stress all the time may be surprised at how difficult it is to control their breathing,” Pacheco says. To help train breathing, she considers tools that give you biofeedback, such as cell phone apps (for example, made by Dr. McConnell) that can help users with breathing rhythm wherever they are.
Difficulty level: beginner.
Nadi Shodhana or “Alternate nostril breathing”
How to do it: It is a yoga practitioner’s best friend, as this breath is said to bring calm and balance and unite the right and left regions of the brain. Starting in a comfortable meditation posture, grasp your right thumb and place it in your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril. As you reach the peak of your inhalation, close your left nostril, then exhale through your right nostril. Continue this pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, then closing it with your right thumb, and exhaling through the left nostril.
When it works best: Any time you seek concentration and energization. Just don’t try this exercise before bed. Nadi shodhana is said to “cleanse the channels” and make people feel more awake. “It’s almost like a cup of coffee,” Pacheco says.
Difficulty level: intermediate.
Kapalabhati or “Shining Skull Breath”
How to do it: Ready to make your day shine from the inside out? This begins with a long, slow inhalation, followed by a rapid, powerful exhalation generated from the bottom of the belly. Once you are comfortable with this contraction, increase the pace to an inhale-exhale (all through the nose) every 1 to 2 seconds, for a total of 10 breaths.
When it works best: When it’s time to wake up, warm up, or start looking on the bright side of things. “It’s pretty intense on the abdomen,” says Pacheco, “but it will warm the body, shake off old energy, and wake up the brain.” If alternate-nostril breathing is like coffee, consider this espresso shock,” she says.
Difficulty level: advanced
Progressive relaxation
How to do it: To relieve tension from head to toe, close your eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for two to three seconds each. Start with your feet and fingers, then move to your knees, thighs, buttocks, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw, and eyes (all while keeping your breathing deep and slow). Are you having trouble performing this exercise? The anxiety and panic specialist, Dr., suggests that we inhale through the nose, count to 5 while the muscles tense, and finally, exhale through the mouth.
When it works best: at home, in the office or even on the go. A word of caution: Dizziness is never the goal: If holding your breath feels uncomfortable for you, tone it down for at least a few seconds.
Difficulty level: beginner.
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Guided visualization
How to do it: Go to that “happy place”, don’t ask anything. With a coach, therapist, or helpful recording as a guide, breathe deeply while focusing on positive, pleasant images to replace any negative thoughts. The psychologist explains that while it is only a resource to achieve mindfulness, “guided visualization helps put you in the place you want to be, rather than letting your mind do that internal dialogue that is so stressful.”
When it works best: Anywhere you can close your eyes and let go safely (example: not while driving).
Difficulty level: intermediate
While stress, frustration, and other daily setbacks will always be there, the good news is that so will our breathing.
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