Breathing

Inhaling oxygen is an unconscious process the body does to survive.  What most people don’t realise is that breathing is important for spiritual and mental health. The amount of oxygen we inhale influences the amount of energy our cells release throughout our body. Breathing correctly is the easiest thing we can do to increase our health. 

In fact, the way you breathe strongly effects the chemicals your body releases for psychological and physical benefits. Breathing well will keep the body in good health and can stem off disease both physically and mentally. By inhaling deeply and exhaling without force chi energy in your body will promote healing and health.

BREATHING AND STRESS

The main function of breathing is to absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide while the lungs are moving.  The diaphragm holds muscles that control the movement of the lungs and these muscles are active when we breath. When a person is stressed their breathing pattern changes and they usually take small shallow breaths.  Instead of using the diaphragm to move air in and out of the lungs they will subconsciously move their shoulders up and down. Breathing in this way changes the amount of oxygen flowing through your body and can prolong feelings of anxiety and create  physical symptoms. 

Trying to control how you breathe will help improve the physical symptoms of stress.  When a person is relaxed they breathe through their nose in a regulated slow calm way. Intentionally copying a relaxed breathing method can help soothe your nerves when you feel anxious.    

Controlled breathing can create physical changes that include:  

          * Lowering blood pressure

          * Reducing stress hormone levels 

          * Reducing lactic acid build-up

          * Stable carbon dioxide and oxygen levels

          * Enhanced immune response

          * Improvements in physical energy

          * Feelings of calm and wellness

Some people may find that trying to concentrate on breathing techniques causes hyperventilation and panic. If this happens to you, try look for other methods that help you relax and control anxiety.  These can be found under the anxiety section of our learning resources.

HOW TO ADD BREATHING EXERCISES TO YOUR DAY 

Breathing exercises are easy and don’t take up much time in your day. In reality, you can set aside a few minutes each day to pay attention to your breath.  Sometimes you can do this while focusing on other things like watching TV or listening to music. Start with just 2 minutes a day and as the exercises become easier increase the time spent on these exercises.

Below are a collection of different breathing exercises you can try to help improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Tight Lip Breathing

This simple breathing technique makes you slow down your breath by purposely forcing you to make an effort to inhale and exhale. It can be practised anytime and is especially effective when walking slowly or doing activities like sitting at a desk.  Practice using this breathing technique 3-4 times a day to begin and increase the frequency as the exercise becomes easier to complete. 

How to do this exercise.

1. Relax your neck and shoulders.

2. Keeping your mouth gently closed and inhale slowly through your nose for 2 counts.

3. Hold your lips a little firmer together so they pucker like you are going to whistle.4. Hold your lips in this position and exhale slowly for a count of 4 by blowing air out through your puckered lips.

Focused Breath Technique

To do this technique you need to focus on an image, word or phrase.  This technique is useful to relieve anxiety and stress. Choosing a word or image that has happy, relaxing memories or feelings attached to it will boost the amount of relaxation you feel.  Otherwise simple words that do not have any meaning can be used. For examples words like peace, calm, or relax can be used or general words like ocean, sunset, trees and forest. 

As you continue to practice your focused breathing you can increase the time spent on each session from a few minutes a day to 20 minutes.

How to do the exercise.
Sit comfortably or lie down in an area where you won’t be disturbed then begin.

1. Allow your consciousness to become aware of your breathing but do not try to change how you are breathing.
2. Change between normal and deep breathing a few times. Notice any differences between your normal breathing and deep breathing. Pay attention to how your abdomen expands with deep inhalations and deep exhalations. 
3. Notice how your normal shallow breathing feels compared to deep breathing and practice the deep breathing for a few minutes.
4. Then, keeping your belly relaxed place one hand just below your belly button. Notice how your hand rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.
5. Let out a sigh each time you exhale.
6. Next, as you breath in this manner think about the imagery or focus word/phrase. This will help you hold the exercise for longer and encourages relaxation.
7. If you like you can add to this exercise by imagining that the air you inhale envelops you in waves of healing and calm energy. Mentally you can say, “I am inhaling healing and calm.”
8. As you exhale imagine that the air you release washes away tension and anxiety. Imagine that it is taking away all the things inside you that you no longer need.  Sadness, anger and hurt fall away as you breathe.  For example, you can say to yourself, “I am exhaling stress and anxiety” and as you do this feel the anxiety leave your body.

Diaphragm Breathing

Breathing through your belly can help you use your diaphragm properly. This can happen naturally when you are feeling relaxed. When you first do this exercise, you may feel tired but over time the technique should become easier and more natural. Practiced this technique for 5-10 minutes daily or every second day. 

How to do this exercise.
1. Lie down on your back with your head on a pillow and your knees slightly bent.       

2. Place one hand on your chest and one hand below your rib cage where you can feel your rib cage and your diaphragm move as you breathe       

3. Begin to pay attention to your breath.       

4. Slowly inhale through your nose expanding your stomach and feeling your stomach press into your hand.       

5. Keep the hand on your chest as still as possible.       

6. Exhale with your lips puckered together tightly and remember to keep your chest as still as possible.      

 7. Repeat this process 20 times and try to expand on this so that eventually you are doing this exercise for at least 5 minutes.

8. Once this becomes to easy you can increase the difficulty by trying the exercise while sitting in a chair or while you are doing your daily activities like cooking or walking.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is known in Sanskrit as ‘nadi shodhana pranayama’ and is a breathing technique used for relaxation. It has been shown to enhance cardiovascular function and can lower a heart rate. This is best practised on an empty stomach and should not be attempted when you feel flu like symptoms. It is important to keep your breathing smooth and consistent throughout the exercise.

How to do this exercise.

1. Sit comfortably on a chair or couch.        

2. With your right hand press your first three fingers down towards your palm leaving your pinky finger extended out.        

3. Keeping your fingers in this position, raise your right hand towards your face and press your thumb into your right nostril to gently close it just after exhaling.         

4. Inhale through your left nostril and then close your left nostril with your right pinky finger releasing your thumb from your right nostril simultaneously.        

5. Exhale through your right nostril and then inhale through your right nostril before again pressing down with your thumb on your nostril to close your right nostril.        

6. Release your pinky finger from your left nostril and exhale through your left nostril and inhale once through this nostril.        

7. Press down with your pinky finger on the left nostril to close the nostril and release the thumb from the right nostril and exhale.

8. Breath in again from your right nostril.

9. This is one cycle.        

10. Continue this pattern of breathing for 5-10 minutes and finish your exercise with an exhale on your left side.

Equal Breathing

This technique focuses on making your inhaling and exhaling last the same length of time. Having a smooth and steady breath can help bring balance and calm to your body, mind and spirit.

Choose a breath length that is not to hard or easy to complete. You may need to practice a little before finding the right rhythm for you. Counting the time it takes to breath in and out can help accurately measure the length of time each breath is lasting and usually 3 or 5 counts is ample. Once you get used to equal breathing you can include it as part of your daily life.

How to do this exercise.
1. Sit in a comfortable position.        

2. Breathe in and out through your nose.

3. Count how long it takes you to breath in and breath out. Try to make sure the time you inhale and exhale are as equal as possible.        

4. You can add a slight pause in between each inhalation and exhalation if it feels comfortable for you.        

5. Continue practicing this for 5-10 minutes.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is fantastic for relieving shortness of breath and preventing air from getting trapped in your lungs. It helps you breath in more fresh air and may help you feel more relaxed and balanced.

How to do this exercise.

1. Sit in a comfortable position.         

2. Draw your elbows back slightly to allow your chest to expand.         

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose

4. Hold your breath for a count of 5. If you can not hold your breath for a count of 5 try hold for 3.        

5. Slowly release your breath by exhaling through your nose         

6. Repeat this for 5 – 10 minutes. 

Humming Bee Breathing Exercise

This exercise helps to create instant calm and is known to be soothing especially around your  forehead. Some people use this technique to relieve frustration, anxiety or headaches. Practicing this exercise when you have privacy may be ideal as you will be free to make a humming sound.
How to do this exercise.

1. Sit in a comfortable seated position.          

2. Close your eyes and relax your face.          

3. Place your first two fingers from each hand on each side of your neck just under your ear lobes where the cartilage sits.          

4. Inhale and exhale gently pressing your fingers into the cartilage.         

5. Keeping your mouth closed and make a humming sound.          

6. Continue this cycle for a long as feels comfortable.
 

Hara Breathing technique

The Hara technique is a Japanese healing technique that has had amazing results in building Chi energy.  If done correctly it can be highly effective in healing the mind and body and strengthening the body's life force energy. 

Step 1: Find your space
When practicing breathing it is important to do this first in a meditation posture. If this does not feel comfortable try sitting or lying down. As you breathe, expand your lungs so that your chest increases in size. Keep doing this repeatedly trying to expand your lungs more and more on each breathe. 

Step 2: Deep Breathing
Close your eyes, clear your mind from deep thoughts and focus only on your breathe. Think only of your breathe. Listen to how your body is breathing. By being conscious of your breathe you will enter into a meditative state where your mind and body naturally work in unison. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale naturally through the mouth. As you inhale suck in your stomach and expand your chest. As you exhale your chest deflates and your stomach expands. Repeat this process for a minute or two. You may feel light-headed or tingling in your arms and legs. This is very normal and harmless. As you breathe feel the energy build inside your body. It will begin from your naval cavity and expand on each breathe.  

Step 3: Releasing the Breathe
Once you have been breathing in and out for about 1-2 minutes depending on what you can handle it is time to hold your second last breathe before ending the breathing exercise. To do this on your last breathe inhale deeply, as deep as you can and then let out the air from your lungs. Before taking in your next breathe consciously stop inhaling and hold for as long as it feels comfortable. 

Step 4: Holding the breathe
Once you feel the urge to breathe again relax and taking in a deep breathe naturally as deeply as you can. Feel the hara (area just under your naval) expand as you breathe in this last breathe. Hold this breathe for 10 to 15 seconds and then naturally let it go. As you let it go feel the energy your have built in your hara naturally flow throughout your entire body.

Repeat this whole process three or four times without stopping. Once you have completed the exercise sit in stillness for as long as possible.