This document outlines several deep breathing exercises and their benefits for stress relief. The exercises include relaxation breathing, stimulating breathing, the 4-7-8 exercise, alternate-nose breathing, and abdominal breathing. Some key benefits mentioned are calming the mind and nervous system, increasing oxygen intake to nourish the body and brain, and balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Instructions are provided for how to perform each breathing technique.
2. BENEFITS OF DEEP
BREATHING
• Cleanses and rejuvenates your vital channels of energy.
• Calms the mind and the nervous system, triggering deep
relaxation
• Great preparation for meditation
• Increase in the intake of oxygen helps to nourish the body
and brain
• The holding of the breath between inhales and exhales helps
to regulate and direct the flow of breath in the body.
• Helps to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain
(linear thinking with creative thinking)
• Helps to regulate the heating and cooling cycles of the body
• Balances the ultradium rhythm (as one nostril is responsible
for wake cycles and sleep cycles)
• Alleviates headaches and calms anxiety and tense mental
states
4. 1# RELAXATION BREATHING
TECHNIQUE
• Sit or stand in a comfortable
position.
• Inhale slowly through your nose,
focusing on the breathe and count
in your mind 1-2-3-4-5
• Exhale through your mouth,
counting for 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 as all
the air leaves your lungs.
• Let your belly go as you breathe.
• Rather than filling up your chest and
raising your shoulders.
• It allows more oxygen reach your
lungs.
5. 2# STIMULATING BREATHE.
• Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose,
keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your
breaths in and out should be equal in
duration, but as short as possible. This is a
noisy breathing exercise.
• Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per
second. This produces a quick movement of
the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe
normally after each cycle.
• Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your
first try. Each time you practice the
Stimulating Breath, you can increase your
time by five seconds or so, until you reach a
full minute.
• *It will make you feel invigorated,
comparable to the heightened awareness you
feel after a good workout.
6. 3# 4-7-8 EXERCISE TECHNIQUE
• Exhale completely through your
mouth, making a whoosh sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale
quietly through your nose to a
mental count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count
of seven.
• Exhale completely through your
mouth, making a whoosh sound
to a count of eight.
• This is one breath. Now inhale
again and repeat the cycle three
more times for a total of four
breaths.
7. 4# ALTERNATE-NOSE BREATHING
TECHNIQUE
1) Sit with spine straight and feet flat on the floor
2) Close the right nostril with your right thumb, and
inhale through the left nostril. Inhale into the
belly, for a count of 4
3) After inhaling, hold your breath for 4 seconds
4) Exhale through your right nostril while closing
the left with your ring and pinky finger of your
right hand for 4 counts
5) Repeat steps 1 to 3, but this time start inhaling
through the RIGHT nostril (while you close the
left nostril with your ring and pinky finger).
• *Start off practicing this breathing exercise
for 2 minutes at a time and then increase to 10
minutes for maximum benefits
8. 5# ABDOMINAL BREATHING
TECHNIQUE
• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your
abdomen. When you take a deep breath in, the hand on
the abdomen should rise higher than the one on the
chest. This insures that the diaphragm is pulling air into
the bases of the lungs.
• After exhaling through the mouth, take a slow deep
breath in through your nose imagining that you are
sucking in all the air in the room and hold it for a count
of 7 (or as long as you are able, not exceeding 7)
• Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. As all
the air is released with relaxation, gently contract your
abdominal muscles to completely evacuate the remaining
air from the lungs. It is important to remember that we
deepen respirations not by inhaling more air but through
completely exhaling it.
• Repeat the cycle four more times for a total of 5 deep
breaths and try to breathe at a rate of one breath every
10 seconds (or 6 breaths per minute). At this rate our
heart rate variability increases which has a positive
effect on cardiac health.
Note: Always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth.
The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation.
Once you feel comfortable with the above technique, you may want to incorporate words that can enhance the exercise. Examples would be to say to yourself the word, relaxation (with inhalation) and stress or anger (with exhalation).
In general, exhalation should be twice as long as inhalation. The use of the hands on the chest and abdomen are only needed to help you train your breathing. Once you feel comfortable with your ability to breathe into the abdomen, they are no longer needed.