5 Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief and Relaxation

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Besides drinking water and eating, the most important thing your body needs to do to live is breathe.

I’m sure you are already breathing as you read this so it sounds pretty simple, right?

Unfortunately, many of the breaths we are taking are not done properly or consciously, leading to many physical and emotional issues in our bodies and minds. We typically over-breathe, hold our breath too often and/or breathe too shallow throughout our busy and emotional days. These types of breathing patterns lead to a shortage of oxygen and energy in the body and mind, which affect our nervous system, lungs and brain.

Breathing is one of the most simple techniques we can incorporate into our daily lives without much effort, time and stress. It can literally be done anywhere at anytime to relax our nervous system so we can be less reactive, emotional, and stressed. Breathing will allow us to remain more calm, energized and even help us to make better decisions and digest more properly. It is also a simple way to boost our metabolism, reduce cravings and sleep more deeply. Additionally, deep breathing has been known to help lessen tension and pain.

The average person takes about 20,000 breaths per day. It may sound easier said than done to breathe deeply throughout your day but it is possible once you add it to your routine. Learning how to breathe consciously allows us to slow down and be more aware of our feelings, thoughts and surroundings. When we aren’t paying attention to the breath, we can get lost in thinking too much and reacting too quickly.

Here are a few breathing techniques to help you breathe more fully.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Use your right thumb to close off right nostril. Inhale slowly through left nostril. Pause. Close left nostril with ring finger and release thumb off right nostril. Exhale through your right nostril. Now, inhale through right nostril. Pause. Use thumb to close right nostril. Exhale through left nostril. This breathing technique helps to bring oxygen to both the left “thinking” side and right “feeling” side of the brain, which will allow you to activate and access your brain as a whole. It is beneficial for focusing, gaining clarity, sleeping and also to relieve a headache or any tension in the body. This is great to practice while driving or when you need to focus on a project.