Breathing exercise against stress
5 different breathing techniques to de-stress yourself for a while
Reduce tension with simple breathing techniques
✓ Looking for ways to reduce tension?
✓ Want to develop more awareness about your breathing?
✓ Looking for breathing exercises to improve your focus?
Then you have come to the right place! Influencing your breathing is a simple and effective way to relax and activate your parasympathetic nervous system. By using different breathing techniques, you can calm your body and manage your energy more efficiently.
When you are tense, your breathing speeds up. This activates the sympathetic part of your nervous system. By breathing calmly and deeply, your heart rate slows down, your blood pressure drops and your body relaxes. Applying the right breathing techniques can help.
In this article, we discuss different breathing techniques that can help you experience more peace. Most importantly, discover which technique works best for you.
Now take your first deep breath, feel how your belly comes up and let out slowly. We are going to take a moment consciously pause!
The 5 breathing techniques we discuss here
Breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, can be done at any time of the day. Whether you are at work, at home or on the go, these traditional breathing techniques help you relax your body and regulate your breathing.
Awareness of breathing
Take a few minutes to reflect on your breathing before you continue reading. Close your eyes and ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you breathing fast or slow?
- Do you feel your breathing high in your chest or low in your belly?
- Is your breathing smooth or do you notice blockages?
- Does your breathing match what you are doing now?
Relaxed breathing is a sign that your nervous system is calm. If you notice that your breathing is restless or high, it could be a signal of tension. By applying different breathing techniques, such as abdominal breathing, you can improve your breathing and subconsciously breathe more efficiently.
When the nervous system is calm and experiences safety and security, the brainstem can perform its functions properly.
If disruption occurs or there is a potential threat or danger, the body is prepared for action (fight or flight). This releases energy available to the brain and muscles for survival. When this threat is over again, our heart rate, blood pressure and breathing drops to regain calm. This is how it is supposed to happen.
OVERlife, along with reproduction, is the most basic need we have as humans.
Evolution has provided us with a genius system, unfortunately since the industrial revolution this has come under great strain as our lives have changed 100% over a few hundred years.
The brain stem is responsible for maintaining the oldest functions of our body such as blood pressure, heart rhythm and breathing, for example. In addition, this is the centre where all information from the body passes before it gets higher in the brain.
You can compare it to a spam filter. The filter selects what is of interest to let through to other parts of the brain so that they may or may not enter our consciousness.
What does your breathing say about your physical and emotional state?
By consciously paying attention to your breathing, you gain valuable insights into your body and emotions. You can learn to recognise where there is tension or where you experience pain. This awareness is essential for your health and can be re-developed with practice. By practising breathing awareness for 5-10 minutes daily, you can improve your breathing and unconsciously bring more peace to your body.
Breathing technique 2:
Reduce stress with box breathing
Box breathing is a simple but effective breathing technique that helps regulate your breathing and calm your nervous system.
- Breathe calmly for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale slowly for 4 seconds
- Hold again for 4 seconds
Repeat this cycle for 10 minutes. Over time, you will notice how the relaxation enters your body.
Online master classes
Breathe To Relax
Ecstatic Breathwork
Polyvagal theory
Breathing technique 3:
Reduce stress with the 4-7-8 breathing exercise
Take 4 seconds to take a deep breath, hold your breath for 7 seconds and exhale calmly for 8 seconds. This technique promotes relaxation and helps you fall asleep faster. Make sure to exhale with slightly pursed lips to extend your breathing.
Breathing technique 4:
Strengthen your focus with the LSD breathing technique
- Light
- Slow
- Deep
Light - light nose breathing
Inhale lightly. Put your index finger right under your nose. The idea is to feel NO wind moving against your finger as you breathe out or in.
After 1 minute, more oxygen is already 50% entering your brain. This is calm breathing.
Slow - slow nasal breathing
Breathe in slowly for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds
Learn to tolerate CO2 in your blood, this feels uncomfortable at first but if you persevere and practise often you will experience all the benefits such as slower breathing, better circulation, better recovery, deeper sleep and peace in your mind. When breathing slows down, we feel more peace in our system.
Deep - deep nasal breathing
Take a deep breath, low in the belly, when inhaling make the belly as thick as possible.
Learn to use your main respiratory muscle, the diaphragm, correctly and thus stimulate your Vagus nerve, increasing your parasympathetic activity. As a result, you experience calmness in your body and head. Breathe deeply with each inhalation.
Breathing technique 5:
Right nostril and left nostril
Studies show that breathing through one nostril affects the activity of your nervous system. The right nostril increases your alertness and focus. The left nostril, on the other hand, stimulates relaxation and calmness. Both nasal breathing techniques help you use energy efficiently.
- Reduces tension, anxiety and panic feelings
- Increases oxygen levels in the blood
- Lowers heart rate
through your right nostril = activation
Breathing through the right nostril increases sympathetic activity. This is associated with increased activity in brain regions related to attention, alertness and cognitive performance.
through your left nostril = relaxation
Breathing through your left nostril enhances parasympathetic activity.
A study published in the journal "Frontiers in Human Neuroscience" showed that breathing through the left nostril was associated with increased activity in brain regions related to positive emotions, relaxation and self-regulation.
Want to know more about breathing? Read our blogs
Others' experience with breathing exercises
Read some testimonials here ➭
Breathing techniques are a powerful tool to reduce stress and help you relax. By consciously pausing and focusing on deep breathing, you influence your breathing and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. There are different types of breathing techniques, including traditional breathing exercises, yoga exercises and traditional breathing techniques such as alternating the inhalation between the right and left nostrils. With practical tips and simple breathing techniques, you will learn how to use your breathing to clear your head. For example, visualise your breath flowing all the way to your feet with each exhalation.
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