Breathing techniques to practice at any occasion

How often do you pay attention to your breath? Most of the time, we breathe automatically without being aware of the inhalation and exhalation.

Most people breathe shallowly, taking more than 15 breaths per minute. Such breathing creates stress because it activates the sympathetic nervous system, which uses a survival strategy such as rapid heartbeat, decreased appetite, and adrenaline rush.

In order to promote bodily health, it's essential to relax. Breathing less than 10 respiratory cycles per minute through the nose activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the ability to relax, calm down, and fill the body with energy.

Breathing four or fewer breaths per minute creates a state of meditation, where we can delve into the depths of the subconscious.

“Let's do a test:

Exercise: Set a timer for one minute. Specially without changing habitual breathing. Count the number of breaths and exhalations (this is 1 cycle). What did you get?”

To breathe more slowly, it is important to take a full breath and exhale using the stomach. There are many breathing practices that are crucial for our physical and mental well-being. In this article, we will explore some practices that can effectively help us deal with the challenges of daily life, such as stress, anxiety, or a desire to calm down and relax. These practices are easy to perform and can be done anywhere, even in a crowded place.

Alternate nostril breathing

Benefits:

- It helps to fight with stress
- Relieves headaches
- Helps to stay in the present moment
- Creates a sense of harmony

How to do it:

- Place your left hand on your left thigh and raise your right hand to your head to switch nostrils.

- Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale gently and completely through your left nostril.

- Then, close your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril.

- Inhale through your right nostril.

- Close your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.

- Continue this pattern, changing nostrils after each breath.

Square Breathing (Box breathing)

Benefits:

The square breathing technique can energize both mind and body. It can help bring clarity, centering, and wakefulness, and can also affect the hormonal system to bring hormones back to normal levels. 

Additionally, this technique can improve the function of the digestive tract.

This technique is simple and can be done almost anywhere at any time. As shown in the picture on the right, breathing consists of four equal cycles (inhale, hold, exhale, hold) each of the same duration.

- To start, take a comfortable position, either standing or sitting with a straight back, close your eyes, and take a few deep, conscious breaths.

- Then, inhale while counting to yourself (1, 2, 3, 4), and hold your breath for the same amount of time.

- After the hold, exhale and again hold your breath for the same duration as your inhalation.

- During the practice, focus on your breathing and try not to engage in thought processes. As you hold your breath, imagine that you are breathing through your skin.

- Start with small proportions, such as four counts, and gradually increase the duration as you find it easier to complete the four breaths.

Practice this technique for 5-15 minutes a day.

“John Grinder, one of the founders of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), once discovered that after the square breathing technique, insights happen to him, in modern terms, insights.”

4-7-8 breathing

Benefits

- Calms the central nervous system
- Promotes better sleep
- Helps curb appetite and improve digestion

It is recommended to practice this breathing technique while sitting at first. Once you have become proficient, you can perform it while lying down, standing up, or even while on the go. This exercise can help calm a busy mind before going to bed. Focusing on the breath and counting can help distract from worries or stress and aid in falling asleep. This technique also helps regulate breathing and relax the body.

Before starting this exercise, rest the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, relax your muscles, and breathe out fully through the mouth. Here are the steps to follow:

- Inhale through the nose for a count of four

- Hold the breath for a count of seven

- Part your lips and exhale loudly for a count of eight.

Lion's breath

- Cleanses of toxins
- Stimulates the thyroid gland
- Balances the throat chakra

Lion's breath is a form of pranayama from the old yogic tradition.

Method:

- Get into your seated position of choice or follow  the traditional way we discribe.
- Place your hands on your knees or on the floor. If on the floor, point the fingertips in toward yourself. Spread the fingertips wide, like a lion's claws.
- Lean the upper body forward slightly.
- Inhale through your nose with your mouth closed.
- Open your mouth wide sticking the tongue out as much as you can, curling it down toward your chin.
- Exhale forcefully with a "haa" sound. Keep the tongue out for the entire exhale and don't be afraid to get loud.
- Relax your face and take a few normal breaths before doing another lion's breath.
- Repeat until you've completed four to six lion's breaths. If you're sitting in lion's pose, switch the crossing of your feet halfway through.