Are you feeling overwhelmed and need a way to find some control? Breathing exercises can help. Our breath is an incredibly powerful tool that has tangible benefits – like helping reduce stress, boost our moods, increase focus, and even lower blood pressure. Breathing exercises are simple yet powerful tools to help maintain physical and mental health.
By controlling the breath, it is possible to calm your mind when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, boost energy levels throughout the day, improve focus on work tasks, and much more. Breathing exercises are practices that involve consciously controlling the breath in order to promote physical, emotional and mental well-being. In this article we will discuss a few breathing exercises that can be incorporated into your daily routine for better overall wellbeing.
Slow, deep breathing
A slow breathing is often observed with deep breathing. A slow, deep breathing helps the body to exchange gases completely. A quick, shallow breathing often contributes to various problems, such as anxiety, depression, panic and changes in blood pressure.
Contrarily, a greater control over our breathing patterns can lead to numerous benefits. Achieving breathing control through practices, such as pranayama, may help in achieving different positive results. Watchful breathing can also be used with mindfulness. Mindfulness centers towards focusing our mind at one point, that is inhalation and exhalation during meditation. It helps in focusing at a point and prevent thinking, causing relaxation of mind and body. It acts to calm the mind quickly and reaching up to a place of absolutely no thoughts.
Research studies have revealed that voluntary slow breathing exercises help in controlling heart rate and stabilizing blood pressure. Research studies have also revealed that slow, deep breathing can help in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety and bring improvement in sleep patterns.
The benefits of slow, deep breathing
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve respiratory function
- Increase mindfulness and self-awareness
- Improve sleep
- Boost immune system
The box or square technique, breathing exercises
The first technique is known as the box or square breathing. This powerful breathing technique helps in improving concentration and an effective stress reliever. It can be used by anyone, especially the individuals requiring stress relief or wish to meditate. It is very effective in improving lung conditions in chronic lung disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Benefits
- It helps in stimulating the parasympathetic system and produces and calming effect in the mind and body.
- It helps in reducing stress.
- It improves mood and reduces depressive episodes.
- It helps in conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and depression.
- It helps in managing insomnia
Procedure
First, exhale slowly through your mouth, letting all the oxygen go out of the lungs.
Then initiate the breathing technique. This involves inhaling for four counts, holding it for four counts, exhaling for four counts and again holding it out for another four counts before repeating the sequence again.
This exercise works with a pleasant graphical effect where you visualize yourself creating each side of a square which brings more intention into each step throughout the cycle while calming you down due to increased oxygen intake into your body.
Diaphragmatic deep breathing exercise/ abdominal breathing exercise
The diaphragm is a muscle, which is situated under the lungs. It aids in lung expansion and contraction. Diaphragmatic breathing is a form of deep breathing that engages the diaphragm and improves lung function.
Another popular method is diaphragmatic deep breathing (or abdominal/belly breathing). You should begin by sitting comfortably with your back straight and relaxed shoulders while placing one hand under your rib cage on either side of the stomach allowing oxygen flow through towards both nostrils equally during inhalation.
Instead of expanding only your chest when inhaling, you focus on using your belly muscles so that your abdomen expands outward when breathed in deeply instead up towards the pullover like during shallow breaths.
After completely breathing in through inhalation, slowly breathe out, letting your belly draw back inward without any tension built up with an exhalation.
The alternate nostril breathing exercise (Pranayama)
Another breathing option available includes alternate nostril breathing or Pranayama where inhalation is done entirely through one nostril often using clothing or fingers.
Followed by inhalation, the air is exhaled through the alternate nostril and closing the other nostril. The sides are switched repeatedly until the breathing exercise cycle is complete.
This practice supports very deep states of rest as well, facilitates healing during transition periods in life, because it creates balance throughout both hemispheres, allowing individual become more poised no matter what they’re dealing with internally outwards respectively.
Overall, as a result, such a process brings feelings of calmness, peace of mind, stability, centering all aspects of holistic wellbeing, inspiring joy and renewed strength.
The 4-7-8 breathing exercise technique
The 4-7-8 method involves placing your tongue up against the roof of your mouth, directly behind the upper front teeth for four counts. It is followed by holding your breath for seven seconds, then exhaling through your mouth with lips pursed (like if trying to whistle) for eight seconds.
This exercise increases oxygen saturation within the parasympathetic nervous system which sharpens focus. It also helps in reducing heart rate, ensuring tension relieving relaxation, without compromising alertness when rising from relaxation afterwards.
By incorporating these breathing exercises routinely, it would greatly enhance regular physical and mental health, resulting in a harmonious environment, mindful situations, and appropriate interactions.
