Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, try one of these easy yet highly effective breathing exercises:
Abdominal breathing – Sit somewhere quiet, dark, and pleasant, in a comfortable chair. Place your right hand on your belly and your left hand on your chest. As you inhale, focus on filling your lungs without moving your upper chest or abdomen. The only movement should be in your diaphragm. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouths, trying to sustain a 6- or 8-count on both the inhale and exhale. Sustain this breathing for 10 to 20 minutes.
Breath focus – This technique combines deep breathing with relaxing visualization techniques for maximum effect. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Draw in a deep breath, filling your abdomen and chest as much as you can. As you’re inhaling, picture the air infusing your body with relaxation and peace (however it works to visualize that for you). Feel it spreading throughout your body. When you exhale, visualize expelling all the tension and stress, relaxing every muscle in your limbs, torso, and face. You can pair this with a mantra—for example, “I breathe in peace, and breathe out anxiety and stress”—if it helps. Continue for at least 10 minutes, though you can try for up to 20 minutes at a time.
Progressive muscle relaxation – Lie down on the floor (on a Yoga mat or blanket) or on your bed. Extend your legs and let your arms relax by your sides. Inhale through your nose, and as you do, tense the muscles in your feet. As you exhale, release the tension in your feet and feel the muscles relax. On your next inhale, tense the muscles in your calves, then relax them on the exhale. Keep moving steadily upward, tensing muscles on the inhale and relaxing them as you breathe out. Keep going until you finish off with the muscles in your face, then finish with a few minutes of deep breathing in a fully relaxed state.
Equal in and out – This is an easy technique that you can do anywhere, anytime. You can do it lying in bed, or in any chair—in the office, on the bus, on an airplane, pretty much anywhere you feel the need to de-stress. Focus on your inhalation, breathing in through your nose for a count of five. Then exhale through your mouth and sustain the breath out for a count of five. Keep breathing at this equal in and out count. Try extending it so you breathe for six seconds, then seven, and work your way up to ten seconds in and ten seconds out.
Modified lion’s breath – Sit in a comfortable chair. Inhale through your nose, filling your belly and lungs fully. On the exhale, open your mouth wide and expel the air with a “HAH!” sound. Repeat this for 5 to 10 minutes.
Give these five breathing exercises a try the next time you’re feeling stressed, and I promise you’ll walk away from your breathing session feeling a great deal more relaxed and at peace. |
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