The power of breathing is perhaps best experienced when we are short of breath, when we are suffocating and panicking. Conscious breathing is an art that helps us in our daily lives and that we can learn without leaving our homes. Here are some tips on how to do it
Conscious breathing has a significant impact on our lives. It can make many things easier, such as dealing with stress, which will have a measurable impact on the quality of our work, interpersonal relationships and mood. Often in stressful situations we hear the advice “take a deep breath”, it is the best thing we can do in such a moment. Deep and conscious breathing can calm chasing thoughts, as well as lead to equalization of blood pressure, lowering heart rate, calming the nervous system, oxygenating the whole body and relieving anxiety. In learning proper and deep breathing, yoga or meditation can help us. However, we do not have to sign up for classes. It is enough that we learn a few simple exercises to do at home and we will do them regularly, preferably every day
At the beginning of your journey with conscious breathing you must learn to observe yourself, your body, and most of all, your breath. Lie down comfortably on your back on a relatively soft surface. You can set an alarm clock or timer for about 5 minutes. Place one hand on your diaphragm and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Turn off your thoughts and focus solely on your breath. Control which hand rises first. Hold your breath for a moment, and then let it out through your mouth. Try to get all thoughts out of your head, be aware of your body, and breathe in a natural rhythm
The next exercise is trivial and you can do it anywhere, even without getting out of bed. All you need to do is to start breathing calmly and deeply, and during the process perform the following sequence: inhale, hold the air in your lungs and exhale. During each action you must count steadily. On the first inhale to six. When you pause, count to two, and when you exhale, count to eight. Repeat the exercise at least three times. Remember also that it should not take more than three minutes for each series
The diaphragm is very important in conscious breathing. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to use it, especially during normal inhalation. And it will play first fiddle in the following exercise. Lie comfortably on your back, do not put a pillow under your head and do not tense any muscles. Take a big breath in through your nose. Then move the air from your lungs to your diaphragm (located at the top of your abdomen, near your stomach). You will notice that your chest is falling slightly and your upper abdomen is rising. When you count to five, you can let the air out. Repeat this exercise at least ten times. Try doing it when you have trouble falling asleep, and it will definitely help you.
>> Check also: 3 breathing exercises you should do every day
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