Breathing exercises - what do they mean by this? Not every person knows how to breathe correctly. A person’s health, mood and consciousness depend on this skill. All cells of the body are saturated with oxygen, therefore, having learned the nuances of breathing exercises, it is possible to improve the functioning of the body.

What is breathing exercises?

How to do?

The exercise begins by inhaling oxygen through the nose. This should be done slowly, about two seconds. Now you should pause for exactly three seconds. You need to exhale through your lips, folded into a tube, as if exhaling air through a small gap. The exhalation should last about 10 seconds. If after the allotted time the air has not come out, it is exhaled sharply to the end. It is important to do this exercise both in the morning and in the evening.

Breathing exercises - lunar-solar exercise

It's no secret that human breathing is directly affected by the moon and the sun. For a long time, scientists have studied this process and found that breathing through the right and left nostrils is different. Breathing takes an active part in the processes of the nervous system.

Oxygen entering the right nostril stimulates its work, and air passing through the right nostril stimulates its inhibition. For example, if a person’s right nostril does not function normally due to a cold, he may experience nervous tension and insomnia.

Otherwise, left nasal passage congestion will lead to chronic fatigue. To achieve harmony and put the body in order, you should use this exercise.

How to do?

With help thumb On your right hand, you should close your right nostril, and inhale air with your left slowly, for about two seconds. Pause at the same interval and exhale for about four seconds. With the other nostril, it is important to do the same manipulations using your left hand.

For each nostril, repeat the exercise up to 10 times. After a short time, you can feel an improvement in your well-being, and your fatigue will disappear as if by hand. These exercises are great for colds and headaches.

Exercise "Health"

Breathing exercises - how to do?

Oxygen is inhaled through the nose for a couple of seconds, holding the breath for eight seconds. Now you should exhale slowly, about four seconds. The exercises should be performed strictly according to the template.

Breathing correctly means inhaling, which should be half as long as exhaling. The pause should be four seconds longer than the inhalation. Such gymnastics should be performed in the morning and before going to bed every day, without holidays or weekends. The duration of the exercise can vary between 2-3 minutes.

Breathing is considered the basis of life. By learning to breathe correctly, you can prolong youth and health for long years. Doing the exercises is not at all difficult. As a result, you can get cheerfulness of spirit and body, a boost of energy, and improvement of the body as a whole. Plus longevity.

There are several popular systems in the world breathing exercises, but the legacy that the great Patanjali left us still remains at unattainable heights, and in its uniqueness and multifaceted functionality, no other direction could surpass the developments of the ancient yogic school.

In this article we will tell you what the benefits of performing breathing exercises are for the body and about them. beneficial influence on the emotional and mental state of a person. You will learn to manage your emotions through breathing practices.

A set of breathing exercises

A set of breathing exercises will be useful to everyone interested in a healthy way life. Breathing is involved in all vital processes of the body. A person cannot live even a few minutes without it. Proper breathing will help normalize the functioning of internal organs and glands, improve blood circulation and, along with it, provide oxygen to the cells of the body, which previously lacked a vital element.

Gas exchange in the lungs depends on whether a person breathes correctly. If breathing is shallow and insufficient, then oxygen will not be delivered to those cells that need it. Proper breathing and its effect on blood flow is significant, since it is thanks to proper gas exchange and the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen that the body will receive nutrients delivered through the blood.

Much more can be said about the importance of breathing and how vital it is to learn to control it. Yes, breathing can be controlled, and the practice of yoga calls this the art of controlling and distributing prana in the body, or pranayama. Prana is the energy that we cannot see with our eyes, but it exists. This is not a synonym for the word “oxygen”, but much more. Prana is a life-giving energy that exists in everything around us: in food, living organisms, air, light, etc. This is what gives the Universe life.

Breathing exercises for calmness

Let's first understand what we mean by such a term as “breathing exercises for calming” and what we can understand by calming. As practice shows, this is a matter of paramount importance. If you understand by calmness physical calm, relaxation and complete comfort for the body, then to achieve such goals you must perform one set of breathing exercises.

If by calming exercises you mean primarily psychological aspect, freeing the mind from thought processes, or at least reducing the flow of thoughts and slowing down the internal dialogue, then this will be a different conversation, because although physical and mental calmness can go hand in hand, and usually mental relaxation contributes to physical calmness, however, these states can also manifest themselves separately from each other, i.e. you can be physically active and at the same time mentally calm and relaxed.

The inverse relationship is somewhat more complicated, since psychological tightness or nervousness will affect the physical state, because the psychological and mental levels in terms of the hierarchy of human bodies are higher than the basic physical one. Based on this, we understand that mental and psychological condition plays a big role in controlling the physical body.

Let's remember the moment when you, having come home from work, are comfortably seated in a chair and generally feel physically relaxed, while the brain still continues to function in the same mode as at work, i.e. it has not switched, did not disconnect from old programs. He continues to replay the stories of the day, which also does not help calm him down, and this happens day after day. The thought process does not leave us for a minute. We can't talk about peace in it pure form, if the brain constantly compares something, reviews details, analyzes. This machine is constantly working, and most importantly, it is very difficult to stop.

Stopping the thought process with breathing exercises

Meditation techniques are used to stop the thought process, thus ultimately achieving complete relaxation, not just physical. But in order to enter into meditation, to start meditating, it is best to start with breathing techniques. They will help you concentrate, reduce the flow of mental images, and with constant practice it will become possible to completely stop it and, as a result, truly calm down.

Thoughts are what make us restless almost all the time. Unfortunately, we have no power over them, but it only seems so at first glance. A person can and should be the master of his thoughts in order to at will be able to concentrate on fruitful thought forms, selecting and weeding out unnecessary ones. This is what the practice of dharana teaches - concentrating thoughts on one thing.

You can also learn not to think at certain moments when it is necessary to really calm down. If you understand by calmness to be a focus on positive emotions and memories, then this is not yet real calmness. This is just a way to temporarily avoid negative thoughts, but they will come back again, so this approach is, to put it mildly, counterproductive and is just a form of avoidance. For those of you who don’t want to return to where you started every time, you need to master meditation techniques, the best of which are associated with yoga breathing exercises -.

Yoga: breathing exercises

Yoga breathing exercises - pranayama - generally have a good preventive and therapeutic effect on the body, not to mention the fact that the calming effect on the psyche achieved when performing them is stable and has a beneficial effect on mental processes. If you want to learn in practice what it means to turn off the flow of thoughts, at least for a short time, then you can hardly think of anything better than pranayamas. From the entire list of pranayamas, we will select those that are best to start with and that will also allow you to experience meditation.

• Anuloma Viloma;
• Chandra Bhedana pranayama;
• Samavritti pranayama;
• Full yogic breathing.

There are many pranayamas in the practice of yoga, but it is undesirable to use Bhastrika and Kapalbhati, because these 2 breathing techniques ventilate the lungs very strongly, and it is better to use them only in combination with other pranayamas, since on their own they will not give a calming effect. While combining them with other types of pranayamas can be effective, but for this you need to have enough great experience practice to skillfully create a set of breathing techniques that is safe for your body and at the same time leading to the desired result.

Performing pranayamas that include kumbhaka, i.e. Holding your breath while inhaling or exhaling is possible, but you should wait until you have mastered basic breathing techniques well. Only after this can you engage in the practice of holding your breath, starting with very short periods of time: for 3-4 seconds.

Yogic breathing exercises are designed in such a way that, by performing them, you fill the body with that same amazing energy - prana, which we have already talked about. It moves along internal nadis, there are hundreds and even thousands of them. The three most important of them are located along the spinal column, if we try to explain them from an anatomical point of view to make it clearer. However, these channels are energetic, that is, they are invisible.

Through Ida - the lunar channel on the left, Pingala - the solar channel on the right, and the central, most important one - Sushumna - pranic energy passes and is distributed. By performing full yogic breathing and pranayama, you activate the flow of prana through these channels, filling your body with life.

Breathing exercises in yoga as preparation for deep meditation

For those who are just starting to take their first steps in the practice of pranayama, it is best to first master full yogic breathing. It consists of 3 stages: abdominal, thoracic and clavicular. The essence of such breathing is contained in the name itself - it is complete. Your breathing calms down and becomes deeper and more measured. Your thoughts concentrate on the breathing process; this alone prevents you from rushing or taking shallow breaths and insufficient exhalations. Gradually, through the breathing process itself, you relax, even if you were physically tense, because when the abdominal region is involved in the breathing process, the body itself smoothly relaxes.

Next comes the removal of emotional stress, and by concentrating on the processes of inhalation and exhalation, the mind also switches, its work becomes less intense, the thought process slows down, thus having a calming effect on the emotions and psyche, not only on the body. With the inclusion of full yogic breathing in your daily practice, even with its help you can for the first time understand what a state of thoughtlessness is, when the thought process is stopped, at least for a while. This is the beginning of real meditation, then it can be deepened, and performing pranayamas and full yogic breathing can be the key for you that will open the door to meditation.

Breathing exercises to calm the nervous system

All yoga exercises help to calm the nervous system to one degree or another. Some are more, others are less. In order to get your nerves in order, you can start practicing pranayama such as:

• Apanasati or otherwise known as Anapanasati pranayama;
• Nadi shodhana or Anuloma Viloma - they are similar, the only differences are in the moment associated with kumbhaka;
• Samavritti pranayama, or “square breathing”;
• Shitali pranayama, or “cooling breath”. Its essence is not in cooling you down, but in calming you down;
• Chandra bhedana pranayama also refers to “cooling” in the same sense as described above;
• Full yogic breathing completes this list of breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.

Yogic breathing practices, along with the practice of asanas, have a very organic effect on the psyche, strengthening the nervous system and increasing stress resistance. If you decide to practice breathing exercises regularly, after a short time you will notice how your way of thinking changes. You will begin to pay less attention to trifles, small, annoying moments that just recently irritated and drove you crazy.

A new outlook on life will be the factor that will help you be more balanced. Thoughts penetrate and govern all areas of life, therefore, by changing your breathing, you can change the very direction of thoughts, and this will help you react less to external stimuli, but be more aware of the series of events and their significance in your life. This way, not only will your life become more balanced, but you will be able to take control of it and become a co-creator of your life path.

By performing these simple breathing exercises, you will radically improve, in addition to the functioning of your lungs, the health of your entire body as a whole. People suffering from chronic diseases that are directly related to the cardiovascular system should not perform lung exercises, although your doctor can make a final prohibition, so be sure to consult with him.

During classes, you need to control your pulse and if it increases greatly, it means that this complex is categorically not suitable for you, so classes should be stopped immediately. The pulse after exercise should be deep and good filling, but not much more frequent. After gymnastics, you need to regularly measure your blood pressure, which may increase slightly, but reach dangerous values shouldn't. The intensity of exercise should be increased gradually so that the body can adapt.

Breathing warm-up

1. Relax and stand straight, arms should be lowered along the body.
2. Exhale and then begin to take a slow, deep breath. As your lungs fill with air, your shoulders begin to rise. Then a sharp exhalation is made, and the shoulders drop accordingly.
3. The next time you inhale, as your lungs fill, your shoulders slowly move back, your shoulder blades come together, your hands come closer behind your back. Then you need to slowly exhale, while your arms and shoulders move forward, and your chest contracts. Shoulders and arms should be relaxed.
4. With a deep breath, we bend to the right, the chest on the left stretches accordingly. With exhalation we return to the original position. We make the same tilt to the left. When performing this exercise, you need to keep your back straight and not bend your neck and arms.
5. As you inhale, slowly tilt your head back, while the spine bends strictly in the thoracic region. As you exhale, tilt your head forward so that you can see your knees; the spine also bends in the thoracic region. And the arms hang freely along the body.
6. We take a deep breath and, with a leisurely exhalation, gently twist the spine clockwise, right hand at the same time, it is retracted behind the back, and the left one goes forward. We inhale and return to the original position. We do the same thing, but counterclockwise. We make sure that the hips remain motionless.
7. First, we alternately make circular movements with our right and left shoulders, similar to those made by kayak rowers. Then rotational movements We do it with both shoulders at the same time. Breathing is voluntary.

Breathing exercises should be performed for 6-10 minutes. After completing it, you should relax and unwind. After rest, you can begin to do breathing exercises for the lungs from the complex below.

Basic breathing exercises that develop the chest, various groups of its muscles and ligaments

These classes are quite simple, but incredibly effective. You should not try to master many exercises at once. As experience and practice show, the breathing exercises provided below develop the muscles and ligaments of the chest, the air cells of the lungs, etc. Of all the breathing exercises, “cleansing breathing” is considered the main one. It is used when the need is felt to cleanse and ventilate the lungs, it is usually used at the end of many other exercises for developing the lungs, and it is used constantly.

Cleansing Breath

This exercise not only ventilates and cleanses your lungs, it improves the health of the entire body, stimulating all its cells and refreshing it. The exercise is very useful for people whose profession requires a lot of strain on the lungs: singers, actors, musicians playing wind instruments, speakers, teachers, etc. It is performed as follows: first, take a full breath and hold your breath for a few seconds. The lips are compressed as if to whistle, the cheeks do not swell, then exhale a little air with considerable force and stop for a second, then exhale a little more in the same way and continue until all the air is completely exhaled. It is very important to exhale forcefully.

Holding your breath

Develops and strengthens the respiratory muscles, as well as the lungs in general. Constantly doing it will expand the chest. At the same time, temporarily holding your breath helps cleanse the lungs and promotes better absorption of oxygen in the blood. To perform the exercise, you need to stand straight and take a full breath. You should hold your breath in your chest for as long as possible, and then forcefully exhale the air through your open mouth. Next, do cleansing breathing.

Breath-holding can be done with a watch, recording time and noting your ability to increase your gains daily. Gymnastics has a refreshing effect on a tired and weary person; its positive effect can be felt within a short period of time. For fastest receipt positive effects must be carefully practiced.

Excitation of lung cells

Allows you to stimulate the activity of air cells in the lungs. It must be performed with caution and beginners should not overuse it. Many people feel slightly dizzy after doing it. Therefore, you must always be ready to stop doing it. To perform it, you need to stand straight with your arms down along your body. Slowly and gradually inhale air until your lungs are full of air and hold your breath. Then we hit the chest with the palms of our hands and begin to slowly exhale air. At the same time, we “drum” on the chest with our fingertips. We finish the exercise with cleansing breathing.

Joyful upper breathing

This exercise is believed to improve mood. For control, you need to place your hands on your collarbones, then when you inhale, air will fill only the upper parts of the lungs, and the chest will rise up. When you exhale, it returns to initial position. At the same time, the abdomen remains motionless and the chest does not expand.

Calming lower breathing

When you inhale, air fills the lower parts of the lungs and therefore the stomach protrudes; when you exhale, it retracts. The chest remains motionless. In combination with this exercise, medium breathing is performed, which increases the tone of the body. When you inhale, air fills the lungs, and the chest expands, and when you exhale, it returns to its original position. During the exercise, the stomach remains motionless.

To see a positive result from any exercise, you need to do it regularly, and not quit halfway. Perseverance, desire and willpower are the main components of effective success.

Breathing Awareness Exercise

Awareness of breathing is the simplest skill of self-observation, observation of one’s own sensations, one’s own physiological processes.

So, you lie on your back in a relaxed state and breathe with your stomach. Try to really feel your breath. Observe very carefully all the sensations that appear when breathing. Spend at least 5-7 minutes continuously on this. Pay attention to the following sensations (you can find a lot of additional sensations on your own):

Passing air through Airways. Follow its passage through the nose, nasopharynx, then through the larynx and trachea (for those who have thoroughly forgotten the anatomy: the larynx is located in the neck - where the “Adam’s apple” is felt; the trachea continues lower, entering the chest cavity). Notice if there is a sensation of obstruction to the passage of air anywhere along the way.

Rise and fall of the chest during inhalation/exhalation. (Very small; remember to breathe from your stomach).

Retraction and protrusion of the abdomen when inhaling/exhaling.

Really listen, in the truest sense of the word, to your breathing. Listen to this sound, the sound of your breathing. Notice where it occurs.

Exercise “Breathing with the belly”

This very simple exercise is designed to train abdominal breathing. For many, it will be enough to do it just once.

Lie on your back. Relax. Start breathing with your belly. Carefully ensure that the chest takes virtually no part in breathing. To control, place the palm of your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your stomach. Breathe with your stomach and only your stomach, so that right palm rose and fell with inhalation/exhalation, but the left one remained motionless. (As an aid, you can forcefully restrict the respiratory movements of the chest, for example, by tightly bandaging it or tying it with a piece of material at hand thick fabric). Please note that deep abdominal breathing also includes friendly movements of the pelvis (moving back as you inhale and moving forward as you exhale).

Medical and physiological basis

Abdominal breathing is a convenient and quite effective tool for neutralizing anxiety, agitation, and outbursts. negative emotions, which is often sufficient for a person to calm down in a situation of sudden short-term stress. While deep, slow abdominal breathing is subconsciously associated with a state of calm and relaxation, its anti-stress mechanism is also the stimulation of the vagus nerve, which promotes general relaxation. An increase in the tone of the vagus nerve (the main link of the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system), counteracting the physiological manifestations of sympathetic activation caused by sudden stress, is component the previously described relaxation reaction.

Exercise “Breathe in the rhythm of the pulse”

First, feel your pulse on your left wrist or, if that doesn’t work, feel the pulsation of the carotid arteries on the front surface of your neck. To do this, the thumb and index fingers form a kind of “fork,” deeply enveloping the larynx (“Adam’s apple”) on both sides, while lightly pressing on the neck with the pads of the terminal phalanges until a sensation of pulsation, a powerful “beating” appears under the fingers.

We carry out the relaxation procedure and switch to abdominal breathing, at first without controlling its rhythm. Then we begin to breathe “on a count”, using the pulse beats as a metronome. We start with a 2:2 ratio of inhalation and exhalation (two pulse beats – inhale, the next two pulse beats – exhale). We breathe in this mode, continuously monitoring the pulse and maintaining the given ratio for 1-3 minutes, until a stable, self-sustaining, stationary breathing rhythm is established that does not require your constant intervention. Then we move on to a new ratio of inhalation and exhalation, maintaining it in the same way: 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 3:6; 3:7; 3:9... Stay in this calm and relaxing breathing pattern longer... and return back to the original inhalation and exhalation ratio, but with a new feeling and in a new mood. Finish the exercise with an energizing exit.

Exercise "Deep Breathing"

Time: 2-3 minutes.

Purpose: regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Relaxation. Concentration and awareness of your sensations.

Sit in a chair with your back straight and relaxed.

Place your hands on your chest with your middle fingers touching each other in the center of your chest. Breathe normally.

Notice at what point the connected middle fingers begin to diverge. Intensify this movement by inhaling more deeply.

Repeat inhalations and exhalations for 2-3 minutes.

Exercise “Breathing on a count”

Purpose: intended to develop the skill of “asymmetrical” breathing.

The origins of this exercise, traditionally used in various courses of autogenic training (Belyaev G.S. et al., 1977) and muscle relaxation, go back to the distant past, to the system of yogic breathing exercises - pranayama, or the system of managing “vital energy” - prana ( Kapten Yu.L., 1993; Zubkov A., 1991).

We will set the duration of inhalation and exhalation using counting; for example, a breathing rhythm of 4:2 will mean a long inhalation (as you inhale, mentally count: 1... 2... 3... 4...) and a short exhalation (counting 1... 2... ) Please note that in this exercise, alternating inhalation and exhalation, unlike yogic breathing - pranayama, is carried out without pauses. This is the so-called “connected” or circular breathing, used in techniques such as rebirthing, vibration and “Free breathing”. In our opinion, it is much simpler and closer to natural (watch animals: as a rule, they breathe without pauses). First, in this exercise, as in the previous ones, we will use beneficial features exhalation, stretching it, lengthening it compared to inhalation (“calming” breathing); then we will practice “mobilizing” breathing.

So, relax and begin to breathe with your stomach in a natural rhythm. Then we begin to breathe “on a count”, maintaining a 3:3 ratio of inhalation and exhalation. We breathe in this mode for a minute or more, until a self-sustaining, as if automatic, breathing rhythm is established.

When you find that you no longer need to think about maintaining the desired respiratory rhythm, when it will maintain itself, without your intervention, move on to the next mode, maintaining it in the same way: 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:9... and in reverse order, returning to the relation 3:3, and further... 4:3; 5:3; 5:2... and activating output. Very simple, isn't it? Do the exercise again and again, while carefully observing how your well-being and emotional background changes with “calming” and “mobilizing” breathing.

Breathing exercises are one of the most effective ways put our physical and physiological state in order. Breathing connects body and mind. Breathing exercises can help us relax, control anxiety, combat insomnia... They are even useful for improving attention and helping to ward off negative thoughts. In this article, we'll look at different breathing techniques, how and why they work, and the pros and cons of each.

What types of breathing exercises exist and how do they work?

Using various breathing techniques and breath control to calm the mind and body is nothing new. In the East and in Buddhist culture this has been practiced for centuries. Mindfulness meditation exercises also rely on breathing control techniques. The practice of deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the involuntary activities of the body when we are at rest. The practice of shallow or shallow breathing stimulates the sympathetic system, which is responsible for activating various organs.

Sympathetic nervous system is activated when we are under stress and causes what is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response. Our task is to learn how to “relieve” such conditions using various breathing techniques. Of all the automatic human reactions, breathing (like blinking) is one of the few that we can consciously control. This is a kind of portal to autonomous system our body, through which we can transmit messages to our brain. Next we will look at different kinds breathing techniques that can be used both in general and in specific, specific situations.

Various breathing techniques. Advantages and disadvantages

Clavicular or clavicular breathing

This type breathing is also called upper thoracic. Since this type of breathing is thoracic and shallow, the chest does not allow the lungs to expand as much as they do with deep breathing.
How do you know if you are using this type of breathing correctly? Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach and breathe as usual. Which of your hands goes higher? If the one is at the top, then your breathing is clavicular, if the one at the bottom is abdominal (abdominal, diaphragmatic). Some people have both hands raised. If so, then the breathing is deep enough and correct.

Clavicular breathing is ineffective because the most powerful blood circulation, which provides our body with oxygen, occurs in areas located below the lungs. Accordingly, if a person uses only clavicular breathing, not enough oxygen reaches these areas. Because this is rapid and shallow breathing, the blood is enriched with less oxygen, resulting in a lack of nutrients in tissues.

• Advantages of clavicular or clavicular breathing: This type of breathing allows us to quickly get oxygen, and can be useful, for example, when we are rushing to the stop to catch the bus.
• Disadvantages of clavicular or clavicular breathing: as we mentioned above, this type of breathing is not effective enough, and with prolonged use it can lead to stress and incorrect functioning of the brain and the body as a whole.

Diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing

This type of breathing is also known as abdominal or deep breathing. With this breathing, the muscles of the diaphragm are activated, and air also enters not only the upper, but also bottom part lungs. When you do this, you see your stomach rise, hence the name. To many, abdominal breathing seems strange and unnatural. Perhaps because a flat stomach is in vogue these days, many people, especially women, hold back their abdominal muscles, thus preventing them from breathing deeply. Since childhood, we have become accustomed to hearing from mothers and grandmothers: “suck your stomach in.” In addition, the cause of contraction of the abdominal muscles (the so-called nervous tic in the abdomen) can be constant tension and stress. Therefore, at present everything more people use clavicular or clavicular breathing, which, in turn, further increases anxiety and tension.

• Advantages of diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing: This breathing technique completely supplies our body with oxygen, allowing it to function fully. At the same time, the heart rate decreases, as does arterial pressure.
• Disadvantages of diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing: this type of breathing has no disadvantages, except for one thing - this technique needs to be learned, since not everyone knows it automatically.

Thoracic or costal breathing.

Also known as chest or costal breathing. During costal breathing, the intercostal muscles are used, with the help of which the chest expands. This type of breathing is not usually used by itself; it is part of a complete or mixed breathing.

Full breath

Full breathing also has many names in various sources- thoraco-abdominal, mixed, costo-abdominal, costodiaphragmatic, lower costal. With full breathing (“breathe in deeply”), the air flow enters through the nostrils, passes through the nasopharynx, trachea and bronchi and completely fills the lungs, which increase in volume. When breathing deeply, the stomach and chest rise, and the diaphragm zone (located between the chest and waist) is activated. In the next section we will look at this type of breathing in more detail.

• Pros of full breathing: This breathing technique helps the body calm down and relax. The body receives a large number of oxygen, the heart rate and blood pressure decrease and the level of cortisol in the blood, the “stress hormone,” decreases.
• Disadvantages of full breathing: While abdominal or deep breathing techniques can become automatic, full breathing is not and is not an easy technique to use, especially if you have never used it. The full breathing technique is the basis of the breathing exercises that we will now look at.

Breathing exercises for relaxation and anxiety relief

Before doing breathing exercises, find comfortable spot. Sit down, straighten your back and place your hands comfortably. The room should have a pleasant temperature and not very bright lighting. Concentrate, focus on your thoughts and breathing. Are you very irritated or agitated?

Full breathing technique for relaxation

One of the most effective techniques for reducing anxiety is full breathing. To perform this gymnastics correctly, we must know what types of breathing there are. How should you do the exercises correctly?

• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe so that only the hand that lies on your chest rises. Hold the air and then exhale it through your mouth. Repeat several times.
• Now, on the contrary, breathe so that only the hand lying on your stomach rises. The chest should not move. Repeat several times.
• Now try to take turns breathing so that first the hand lying on your stomach rises, and then the hand lying on your chest.
• After you have mastered the previous technique, breathe deeply, using both types of breathing at the same time. At the same time, take short breaks between inhalation and exhalation. Inhalation and exhalation should last the same amount of time.

Asymmetric breathing technique

Another one useful technique to relieve anxiety and relax - this is a short inhalation and a longer exhalation. For example, try to breathe so that the exhalation lasts 5-6 times longer than the inhalation. This is very effective exercise, because the heart rate increases with inhalation and decreases with exhalation. Thus, by holding the exhalation, we enhance these effects.

Resistance breathing or assisted breathing for relaxation

The resistance breathing technique involves creating resistance as you exhale. It can be done different ways: for example, exhaling air through closed lips, teeth, through a straw, or even through singing. We can make the sound of the mantra “Om” while exhaling or simply vibrating our vocal cords. This sound resonates with chest and head, creating a very pleasant sensations.

Dynamic breathing for relaxation

There are relaxing breathing techniques which requires a little imagination. As you inhale, imagine a pleasant wave covering you from head to toe. Feel every part of your body and if there is tension somewhere, try to relieve it. As you exhale, imagine that the wave is receding.
How do you know when you are relaxed? You can say that relaxation has been successful if you feel a slight tingling or warmth on your fingertips.

Breathing exercises for sleep

Symmetrical breathing for better sleep

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Inhale four times through your nose, using four-beat inhalations (4 times), and make sure that as you inhale, your stomach (not your chest) rises. Then - a four-stroke exhalation. If you can, try using 5-6 strokes each time you inhale and exhale. Then you can take a few regular breaths and exhales and then return to 4-6 beats. Cycles can be repeated five or six times.
This technique will help you relax in any situation, but it is especially useful before bed. By counting your inhalations and exhalations, you drive away restless and unwanted thoughts that could prevent you from falling asleep. If you don't like counting, you can replace the numbers with words (inhale/exhale, inhale/exhale). You can also reduce the number of bars if 4 is too much for you.

Fractional breathing for sleep

The technique is similar to the previous one, but you need to hold your breath. Use a four-beat inhale, then hold the air for 4 beats, and then a four-beat exhale. Then breathe normally 2-3 times and repeat again.

Breathing exercises to improve attention

Breathing exercises help improve attention and concentration. This way, we will not only study or work better, but we will also be able to better control unwanted thoughts.

Alternative breathing to improve attention

The alternative breathing technique is very effective for increasing attention. To do this, grab your nose with your big nose and index finger one hand so that the fingers lie on the nostrils. Then, as you inhale, gently close one nostril. As you exhale, open the closed nostril and close the other one at the same time. To help you visualize this, imagine that your hand is cupping your nose in the shape of the letter C and you are moving your thumb and index finger alternately to the right and to the left, closing and opening the nostrils in turn.

Eat various variations this technique. You can alternate the nostrils through which you inhale and exhale, starting from right to left and vice versa. First, inhale only through the left nostril and exhale through the right, and then inhale only through the right and exhale only through the left. This breathing method helps you concentrate, fill yourself with energy and increase your attention. Therefore, it is not recommended to practice it before going to bed.

Breathing exercises for children

Teaching your children to control their breathing and use breathing exercises for relaxation and relaxation is one of the best investments in your child's development. Support and inspire your child, let him consciously and regularly practice breathing exercises, let it become a habit. Train him various techniques breathing and explain how they work.

Breath of flowers: To do this exercise, imagine that you are smelling a fragrant and fragrant flower, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, releasing tension. While walking, stop and smell the flowers you like.
Breathing of bees: you need to sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Breathe through your nose and close your ears. Use the “mmm” sound to vibrate your vocal cords. This sound inside our body is very calming and children really enjoy this exercise.
Rabbit's breath: Take three short, quick breaths and then exhale slowly. Let your child repeat this after you - tell him that you are rabbits who must use their sense of smell to find their food. This technique is very useful for children.

Make breathing exercises a healthy habit

To master breathing exercises and make sure that they really help, you need to practice regularly. How to set up a training regimen?

• Find yourself a cozy and quiet place where you can sit or lie comfortably.
• Don't be discouraged if you can't do the exercise correctly right away. Gradually learn, no one does it perfectly right away.
• Try to practice every day for no more than 5-10 minutes at first. If you want, you can increase this time. There is no need to set ambitious goals right away.
• Exercise at the same time, for example, before going to bed or immediately after waking up. This way you can quickly turn breathing exercises into a habit.

Some people breathing exercises don’t like it because they feel uncomfortable controlling their breathing. If you think that breathing exercises are also not for you, try another very effective technique - through exercise. You can also practice yoga and progressive relaxation.

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