Breathing Exercises
When you are stressed, monitoring your breathing enables you to slow and deepen your breaths, which helps reduce the feeling of tension.Learning to change your breathing to a more relaxed pattern is a simple, yet effective skill.
Tuning in to Breathe:
Take a few moments to consciously focus on your breath.
Feel 3 to 5 breaths move in and out of the body.
Remember not to control your breathing, but to simple observe ( Being mindful).
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Your mind will wander . Use the breath as an anchor to re-focus on breathing.
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Then slow down the exhalation to help trigger the relaxation response.
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This technique will activate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps you feel more relaxed and think more clearly
Abdominal Breathing:
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Place one hand over your navel.
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Take a deep breath and blow it out completely through your mouth like a sigh.
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Allow your next breath to flow in by itself through your nose.
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Your hand on stomach should rise or move upward as you breathe in.
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Keep breathing through your nose and breathe in slowly for 3 seconds, then out for 3 seconds, and then repeat these slow breaths for at least 1 minute.
Dr. Athulya Jayakumar demonstrates the deep breathing technique in this video