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Breath, well-being and energy are intrinsically connected. Mindful breathing can be performed anywhere and anytime. It’s all about bringing yourself to the present moment and focusing on a slower deeper belly breath. Relax and soften your belly. A tight abdomen tends to lead to chest breathing which is excitatory to the nervous system. Here we are looking for a calming effect. The following are a couple of formal breathing exercises to get you started.
Equal Breathing Exercise
- Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, with your feet slightly apart, one hand on your abdomen near the navel, and the other hand on your chest.
- Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of 4, relaxing into and expanding your abdomen
- Exhale slowly through your nose to the count of 4, feeling the gentle contraction in your abdomen.
- Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
- Increase your inhale and exhale to a count of 5 for a total of 5 cycles.
- You may increase the length of the inhale and exhale by one count every 5 cycles so long as it causes contentment without strain. 3-5 minutes is sufficient to see a calming effect on the nervous system.
Once you feel comfortable with the above exercise, you can try the following, more advanced, exercise.
4-4-8 Breathing Exercise
- Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, with your feet slightly apart, one hand on your abdomen near the navel, and the other hand on your chest.
- Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of 4, relaxing into and expanding your abdomen
- Hold the breath at the top of the inhale for a count of 4 or whatever is comfortable for you, never straining or going outside of your comfort zone
- Slowly exhale through your nose while counting to 8. Gently contract your abdominal muscles at the end of the exhale.
- Repeat until you feel deeply relaxed or for a total of 5 cycles. At first you may only feel comfortable doing 1 or 2 cycles