Relaxing by Breathing

Stress... Anxiety... Difficulty letting go... We all experience these feelings. Whether in our daily lives, at home, at work or even at school. We live in a fast-paced world where we have little room for error.

 

To deal with all this, everyone turns to different alternatives, sometimes anti-depressants that often do more harm than good, but also sport, listening to music, singing, plants... which are a great help.

 

However, we forget a simple technique, available to everyone! BREATHING!

 

Breathing? Yes, nothing could be simpler! Well, simple... There is breathing...and BREATHING!

 

Breathing is indeed essential to our existence and we rarely think about it because it happens naturally. Yet breathing is incredibly useful for reducing stress and improving health.

 

There is a strong link between breathing and well-being:

- When we breathe in, we absorb energy

- When we breathe out, we release tension.

 

We obviously do this spontaneously, for example, if a situation frightens us, we unconsciously take a deep breath and get the extra energy needed to cope with the situation. Once the crisis is over, we breathe a sigh of relief, which removes the tension.

 

However, most of us do not breathe with the diaphragm but rather with the chest in a short and irregular manner. When we are stressed, the problem is that despite our breathing, we are not getting enough oxygen into our lungs, which makes us even more tense, anxious and out of breath.

 

By practicing regular abdominal breathing, you can learn to relax your body and mind by allowing oxygen to flow through your lungs!

 

There are certain techniques that need to be mastered in order to bring about the calm that we need. Here are some of them to start with!
 First of all, it is important to put yourself in the right conditions to relax. Sit or lie down comfortably with your back straight. Of course, be in a quiet place and make sure you are not disturbed. If you wish, you can also listen to relaxing music that suits you. Finally, if you have just eaten, wait at least an hour before doing your breathing exercises.

 

Some techniques to start with:

  • Complete breathing:

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your upper abdomen
Breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose and then let the air flow directly into the belly very slowly until the belly is fully inflated.
Finish by filling the upper lung area
Hold the air for five seconds.
Then exhale slowly through the mouth making a "chi" sound until the lungs are empty.
Repeat five times.
This technique will allow you to eliminate toxins, relax and regain energy.
Deep breathing:
Slowly take a deep breath through the mouth and nose.
Hold your breath for a count of ten.
Breathe out quickly through the mouth.
Repeat 4 times.

 

  • Deep breathing

Slowly take a deep breath through the mouth and nose.
Hold your breath for a count of ten.
Breathe out quickly through the mouth.
Repeat 4 times.
Deep breathing gives energy by supplying more oxygen to the rest of the body.
It also promotes the release of endorphins, the natural hormones that boost energy and contribute to relaxation

 

  • Breathing to calm the mind:

Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth
With your mouth closed, breathe in for 4 counts
Hold the breath for 4 beats too
Then exhale, still counting to 4
To avoid dwelling on your thoughts and to stop the little bicycle that never stops in your head, adopt this exercise.

 

  • Breathing to calm the mind:

Stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth
With your mouth closed, breathe in for 4 beats
Hold the breath for 4 beats too
Then exhale, still counting to 4
To avoid dwelling on your thoughts and to stop the little bicycle that never stops in your head, adopt this exercise.
Breathing to calm the emotions:
With your mouth closed, breathe in 4 counts
Hold your breath for 2 seconds
Exhale 6 beats, expelling all emotional tensions
Repeat 5 times then breathe normally again before doing the same exercise.
Repeat as many times as necessary within the limit of 15 minutes.
You can do this exercise whenever you feel overwhelmed by your emotions. (Anger, sadness, fear...)

 

 

To begin with, you can choose the exercise that you prefer and that best suits your needs and repeat it several times a day for a month. This way, you will gradually master each exercise and be able to really benefit from their advantages by relaxing quickly. Above all, take it easy and don't force it. Some people feel slightly dizzy at the beginning, this is due to the deep oxygenation that our body is not used to.
 
You can also practice with your family and teach your children some exercises. You will see that before bedtime, breathing will save your life ;)  
Once you have mastered these simple exercises, you can move on to more complex exercises that are used in Ayurvedic medicine, such as "alternate breathing", which is very helpful for insomnia problems.
 
And between us, little post-its all over the house, that can help too ;)