Breathing Exercise – Technique and the Benefits
It starts with breathing. There are plenty of things that happen to us on a daily basis that can scatter our focus and leave us feeling anxious and stressed out. Your plans may have gone for a toss or you might be having a particularly hectic week at work, whatever the reason, everyone needs to take a break to relax before they can be productive again. Learning a few breathing exercises can be extremely helpful in this case. They might not seem much next to a weekend getaway or a trip to a spa, but there are several benefits of breathing exercises that can help you get through the day and be more productive.
Instructions for Breathing Exercises
To start on your breathing exercises, you’ll need to:
- Sit or lie flat on your bed, the floor or any other flat and comfortable surface.
- Relax and place one hand on your abdomen, and the other on your chest.
- Breathe in deeply through your nose for 2 seconds. Make sure that you breathe in such a way that your abdomen moves outward. Your chest should remain still.
- Part your lips as though you are sucking a straw or whistling, and then slowly release your breath.
- Repeat these instructions a few times to get good results.
Benefits of Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises come with a variety of benefits. Some of these are:
Increases Energy
Deep breathing increases your energy. It allows more oxygen to enter into your cells. This slows down your heart rate, reduces your blood pressure, and improves blood circulation. As a result, you get more energy.
Manages Stress
Breathing helps calm your nervous system and is very helpful for reducing stress. When the body is under stress, it releases adrenaline. This causes your pulse rate and blood pressure to spike and results in shallow breaths. Deep breathing can help to neutralize this response. It brings your blood pressure and heart rate back to normal and calms your mind. Shallow breathing from stress or anger can also cause your muscle tissues to contract. Breathing exercises can help release this muscle tension.
Improves Respiratory Health
One of the benefits of breathing exercises is that it releases the tension in your breathing muscles and diaphragm. As your chest opens up, the tension in your respiratory muscles gets released. This can help resolve many respiratory issues like breathlessness and asthma.
Improves Mental State
Doing breathing exercises regularly can improve your learning abilities. It also improves your memory and allows you to focus better. This is because your brain needs a lot of oxygen and deep breathing increases your oxygen intake. You can also overcome any negative thoughts or anxiety and feel more creative.
