Breathing exercises, especially when using proper techniques, can reduce stress.
When we breathe in, we bring everything around us inside our bodies. This includes toxins in the air and negative energy. So, it’s important to fully exhale to rid our body of these things. Especially during stressful times.
There are several types of breathing exercises you can do, with each eliciting a different response. Take your time to find the one that works best for you.
3 Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
This type of breathing quiets and calms the nervous system. In addition it reduces stress, anxiety and improves self-awareness.
Starting Position: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place hands on low abdomen with fingers together.
- Inhale, feel fingers separate and ribs expand sideways.
- Exhale, fingers come back together as the abdomen contracts.
When breathing, you want to emphasize a deep diaphragmatic inhale, through the nose, the spine lengthens and it’s followed by a forced exhalation, through the mouth, while also engaging the deep abdominal muscles.
Repeat for 6-12 breaths.
Our Expert Tip: Notice the quality of your breath. Does the breath feel tense, strained, uneven, shallow? Simply observe the breath without any judgment. Then gradually begin to make your breathing as relaxed and smooth as possible, introducing a slight pause after each inhale and exhale.
2. The Cooling Breath (Sitkari Pranayama)
This breathing exercise improves focus and pacifies excess heat in the system. It also reduces agitation, anger and anxiety.
Starting Position: Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor, with your shoulders relaxed and your spine naturally erect. Open the mouth slightly with your tongue just behind the teeth.
- Inhale slowly through the space between the upper and lower teeth, letting the air wash over your tongue as you raise your chin toward the ceiling.
- At the end of the inhalation, close the mouth and exhale through the nostrils as you slowly lower your chin back to neutral.
Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
This breath is often translated to the ‘cooling breath’ because of the act of drawing the air across the tongue and into the mouth is said to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system. Try it twice a day or as needed during stressful times.
Our Expert Tip: This is especially helpful when you’re feeling drowsy in the morning or during an afternoon slump when you need to improve focus.
3. The Long Exhale
Use this breathing to reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances and anxiety.
Starting Position: Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Place a palm on the abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling the abdomen expand on the inhalation and gently contract on the exhalation.
- With your palm on your abdomen, mentally count the length of each inhalation and exhalation for several breaths. Work to get your inhalation and exhalation to be equal.
- Gradually increase the length of your exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds by gently contracting the abdomen. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to gradually increase the exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds once every few breaths.
Make sure you experience no strain as the exhalation increases. Keep going until your exhalation is up to twice the length of the inhalation, but not beyond.
For example, if your inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds. If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, or if you’re gasping on the next inhalation, back off to a ratio that is more comfortable.
Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
Our Expert Tip: This 1:2 breathing practice relaxes the nervous system. Try it before bedtime to help support sleep. In the middle of the night when you’re struggling with insomnia. Or at any time of the day to calm stress or anxiety.
This blog was originally published on the Life Enriching Communities website with the title Breathing Exercises to Reduce Stress.
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