How do I learn Breathing exercises ?
Simple, intentional breathing has a myriad of benefits
Life is in the breath
Breathing it’s something we do automatically. We were born knowing how to breathe and probably don’t give it a second thought unless it is compromised. However, breathing has a lot more functions than just keeping us alive. It gives us life. Breathing uses chemical and mechanical processes that give energy to every cell in our body. Breathing releases toxins from our bodies and helps to regulate our organs. Breathing allows us to inhale oxygen, filter it and exhale carbon dioxide. We truly are an amazing creation.
Learning how to use this wonderful tool called breathing, helps us to regulate not only the functions of our bodies but also has the ability to help us focus, calm our inner selves, and bring clarity. Deep breathing lowers our heart rate, blood pressure and brings us into a state of relaxation. It helps us cope with pain and anxiety as well as energizing us. Who knew that breathing was such a cornerstone of good health.
How’s your breathing?
While most of us don’t think about our breathing on a regular basis, unless we are short of it, eg: climbing a flight of stairs, exercising, or overexerting ourselves. It is worth examining. Take some time to feel how you are breathing, is your breathing deep or shallow? is it rhythmic or not? Learning some basic breathing exercises can improve your mood, your focus, and your overall health. listed below are a couple of techniques that are easy to use. Why not give them a go and see if they make a difference?
What breathing techniques are the most effective?
There are many different types of breathing techniques, Keeping it simple and finding the one that works best for you is the key. Learning to use these breathing techniques is easy, remembering to use them can sometimes be a challenge. However, with persistence and dedication, you can use breathing to lower stress levels, bring a sense of well-being, help you to focus, and restore a sense of peace.
The most common breathing tool is box breathing or 4x4 breathing. This is useful for overcoming stress, anxiety, or as a time out so you can refocus. It consists of taking a deep breath in and counting to 4 as you inhale. Holding your breath to the count of 4, then exhaling to the count of 4, then holding to a count of four, then repeating this pattern of breathing 2 or 3 times. This type of breathing exercise can be done anywhere and at any time, making it a flexible and easy-to-use tool that helps you to take a moment to reset.
Other Methods:
Pursed Lip Breathing - inhale deeply through your nose, purse your lips and exhale causing you to make a whooshing sound as you breathe out. Repeat until your stress has lifted and your body is relaxed.
Lion’s Breath - A breathing technique suited for releasing energy and pent-up emotions and feelings. Taking a slow, deep inhale through the nose and then opening the mouth releasing the exhale as you stick out the tongue, stretching all the muscles in the face, and making the sound “haaaaah”. This exercise is best done in private.
Breathing- A Spiritual practice
There are many religions and spiritual beliefs that incorporate breathing as a spiritual practice, These practices use breathing to focus on and become in touch with our inner self, and in turn, shifting the focus from ourselves to the divine. Whatever your beliefs are, you can use breathing to meditate, reflect and contemplate on life and your relationship with it. Breathing facilitates the ability to slow down and become more in tune with the environment around us and eventually become more aware of our inner life and understand ourselves better. Silence for some can be uncomfortable and sometimes getting our minds to stop seems difficult but it is obtainable. The practice of breathing at this level takes time and dedication and is truly worth the effort. There are hundreds of helpful apps that you can utilize to develop a habit of taking time to connect on a deeper level. Mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and reflection enrich our lives and help us to live life more abundantly. Read more about mindfulness in the blog below. This simple but powerful tool of deep breathing used as a spiritual practice can uplift, heal and help us to focus on the things that matter the most and give us insights into being all that we can be. Allowing yourself to experience this type of inner work will rejuvenate, clarify and give you some keys to change your world and make it a better place for you.
Strategies to build better breathing techniques
Slow breathing - Take time each morning and evening to breathe. Get into a habit each morning when you wake up to take 5 deep breaths, using whatever exercise works best for you. Finnish off your day the same way. This can also be incorporated with some slow stretching. Making you ready to start or end your day.
Fresh air - Go outside as often as you can, and breathe deeply of the fresh air taking 4-5 deep breaths. Let the oxygen flood your body and revive you.
Stress relief- When you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out or under the pump, STOP for a moment. If you need to excuse yourself, do so and find a place you can breathe, the pursed-lip breathing exercise is an ideal exercise for this. This breaks the build-up of stress and allows you to reset.
Focus- Breathing calms all of our systems and helps us to bring our minds back into focus. When you feel distracted or just can’t settle, use these exercises to bring back a sense of rhythm and purpose.
All of these strategies take time to build into your life until they become a habit. They take a bit of discipline and determination. Start small, pick out the strategy most appealing and doable for you and practice that, and when you feel confident add another one. The main thing is to understand that breathing is not just a tool to use when in crisis, but the very life force within us that is keeping all our systems in check.
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