Take a deep breath in, letting it flow deep down into your belly. Now let it out. We bet you’re feeling a little more relaxed already. Breathing exercises (an active relaxation technique) are one of the most simple and effective ways to relax and look after your health and wellbeing. You can do them standing up, sitting down, lying on your bed…the possibilities are endless.
Yet it seems that, still, so many are unaware of the power of breathing. In fact, many of us take breathing for granted. It often takes a health emergency or poor air quality for us to appreciate this basic yet extremely important ability.
Meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques are all based on controlling and focusing our breathing, and research has shown that there are myriad benefits to these types of relaxation techniques, not only in calming the body and mind, but also in strengthening the respiratory system.
Yep, we’d go as far as to say that conscious breathing can have a hugely positive influence on your life. Read on to discover more about improving your health and wellbeing with breath.
THE BENEFITS OF CONSCIOUS BREATHING
For thousands of years now, meditation practitioners have known the benefits of conscious breathing. Now, others are waking up to these benefits conscious breathing:
- It can lower your heart rate.
- It can help to reduce stress levels in the body.
- It can lower blood pressure.
- It may reduce symptoms of depression.
- It could help you to manage chronic pain.
- It can help your body react better to fatigue or stress.
SOME SIMPLE BREATHING TECHNIQUES
Practitioners of deep breathing, mindful breathing and conscious breathing techniques have several different types of method at their disposal, each of which is intended to help with a specific health or wellbeing issue, as well as contributing to an overall sense of strength and calm.
- Mantra breathing – a mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat to yourself. Research has shown that this can help with focus. As you repeat the word in your head, you will find yourself becoming more relaxed and less stressed.
- Mindful breathing –With mindful breathing, you do not need to change how you breathe, you simply need to focus on your breathing. Mindful breathing can help you to feel more relaxed, as you focus on how the air moves in and out of your lungs. It is a type of calming meditation.
- Nose breathing – as you breathe, close off one nostril and take air in slowly through the open one. You then change to the other nostril. Keep repeating this process until your body starts to relax. This technique has been proven to help reduce anxiety and agitation. Not only that but nose breathing has also been shown to increase performance, too.
- Belly breathing – this is one of the easiest techniques to master. Simply lie down on the floor (or on your bed), place your hands on your stomach, and breathe in through your nose. As you breathe out, you contract the stomach muscles and push the air out of your lungs.
WHEN AND HOW SHOULD YOU PRACTICE BREATHING TECHNIQUES?
It is a good idea to practice breathing techniques multiple times a day. Practicing them regularly will help to pump oxygen to your heart and brain and it will regulate stress levels. Most breathing techniques do not require any equipment at all, and they can be completed anywhere, meaning you can do them while travelling to work, or whilst watching tv at night.
Lots of people are feeling the overwhelming impact that lockdown has had on our physical and mental health and many of us are looking for ways to overcome these problems. However, improving your health and wellbeing may be easier than you would think.
Research has shown that we can improve our health and wellbeing with breath. When you become conscious of how to unlock the power of your breath through straightforward exercises, you will be able to use it as a tool that you can apply anywhere as a piece of your health and wellbeing armory. If you would like to give it a try, then why not follow our advice above.