Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less
Stress and anxiety has a way of sneaking into your life with little notice. We all have our triggers: work, traffic, financial troubles deadlines. Whatever the trigger it’s nice to know that wherever you are when the stress hits you can take a few minutes to simply breathe and let some relaxation takeover. Here are a few breathing exercises you can chose from to get you to a place of Zen.
- Equal Breathing
A breathing exercise derived from the yogic breathing technique Sama Vritti is one of the simplest exercises. Start by inhaling for a count of four, and then exhale for a count of four. This type of breathing exercises works by calming the nervous system, and reduce stress. It’s a great option to keep in mind as it can be done anywhere, and any time. It can even be used to help beat restlessness before bed
- Pythagorean Pattern
To practice this method begin by inhaling for a count of 5, then hold your breath for a count of 3 and exhale for a count of 4. This method also works by calming the nervous system but the number patterns also act as a distraction from the stress. It’s another simple option that can be used anywhere and takes only a few minutes to be effective.
- Alternate Nostril Breathing
This breathing exercise is commonly used at the beginning or end of a yoga class it’s very useful for meditation as it helps quite the mind in addition to calming the nervous system. The same way it allows you to let go of lingering thoughts in a yoga class, it allows you to let go of stressful thoughts and anxiety in everyday situations. Though you may look a little silly with your index finger and middle finger on your forehead, your thumb over your right nostril, and your ring finger over your left it can still be done pretty much anywhere. “Our nose is linked directly to our nervous system. A few benefits of this exercise are: calming an agitated mind, improving brain function, and improving brain function. To practice: hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril.”-www.azumio.com
- Expand-A-Lung
Using a breathing resistance exerciser like Expand-A-Lung can also be used as a relaxation technique. The resistance provided by the Expand-A-Lung helps to elongate the inhales and exhales which is a great way to calm the nervous system. Since the Expand-A-Lung is small enough to fit in your pricket and can be used hands free it is also a do anywhere option.
- Progressive Relaxation
“To nix tension from head to toe, close the eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for two to three seconds each. Start with the feet and toes, then move up to the knees, thighs, rear, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw and eyes — all while maintaining deep, slow breaths. Having trouble staying on track? Anxiety and panic specialist Dr. Patricia Farrell suggests we breathe in through the nose, hold for a count of five while the muscles tense, then breathe out through the mouth on release.”-www.healthland.time.com
- Guided Meditation
If simple breathing exercises aren’t doing the trick try a guided meditation for stress and anxiety. There are classes available at yoga studios, meditation centers, and even online. Additionally you can find guided meditations on iTunes or Spotify which are very effective and ready any time you feel stress and need some quick relief. Guided meditations use both breathing techniques and visualization to help you eliminate stress and anxiety.
Stress and anxiety can make life feel overwhelming but taking a few minutes to breathe can be the key to putting things in perspective and make life feel manageable again.
