5 ANXIETY BREATHING EXERCISES: OVERCOME STRESS IN DAILY LIFE
Rahul was a busy man. He was running a successful business, which took up most of his day. In addition to work, he also had to look after his family, spend time with his children and wife. All this slowly started taking a toll on him. With the news and social media constantly occupying his mental space, this led to a lot of stress and anxiety in his life. Sounds familiar?
Find your calm practice at your peaceful space
Well, whether we accept it or not, getting time to relax in the modern struggle. If this is the truth, what is the solution?
Whenever he takes a penalty or a free-kick, Cristiano Ronaldo takes the ball in his hand, steps away from the crowd, takes a couple of deep breaths, focuses on the ball, and bang! The next thing we see is the ball touching the net and he is already celebrating.
Ever wondered about his breathing ritual before taking that shot?
Well, a lot of people at the highest level, have been using breathing techniques and exercises to calm themselves down. They are constantly dealing with high-pressure situations. They breathe in the air, breathe out all the stress and anxiety.
Breathing is one of the most common movements found in all living things on Earth. It is also the one which gets neglected the most.
Have you ever noticed how you breathe when you feel relaxed? The next time you are relaxed, take a moment to notice how your body feels. Breathing exercises can help you relax because they make your body feel like it does when you are already relaxed.
Here are 5 breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to calm your anxiety and stress levels:
Note: Most of these practices can be done in places with little / no disturbances. Make sure to wear comfortable clothes. You can sit on a chair or lie down on a mat as per your choice.
1] Deep Breathing:
This technique can be practiced in almost any situation. It focuses on inhaling and exhaling for exact same time.
i) Sit in an erect position.
ii) Exhale as much as possible.
iii) Inhale deeply to a specific count, say to a count of 3.
iv) Now exhale while counting till 3.
This completes one cycle.
This can be done in situations that demand you to remain extremely calm like writing an examination or while facing an interview. Follow the above-mentioned steps a couple of times and you'll find yourself cruising through the task.
2] Chanting meditation:
i) Sit in an erect position.
ii) Inhale deeply to a specific count, say to a count of 3.
iii) Exhale while chanting sounds like ‘Om’. Focus your attention on the chant.
Repeat the cycle at least 5 times.
Along with providing a soothing effect, it helps you to abandon your wandering thoughts and focus specific words and thus on your breathing. As a result, helping you focus on the present moment.
3] 4-7-8 Technique:
i) Sit comfortably on a chair or lie down with a pillow under your head.
ii) As you inhale, start counting slowly till 4.
iii) Then hold your breath as you now count from 0 to 7.
iv) As you exhale, do so while counting from 0 to 8.
This completes one cycle. Repeat it 3-4 times.
When practiced regularly, this technique has been found extremely helpful to students and senior citizens.
4] Nadi-Shodhana Pranayama:
This technique is very similar to the famous ‘Anulom – Vilom’
i) Fold your legs and sit down with your hands on your knees.
ii) Push your index and middle finger of your right hand towards your palm and extend the other three.
iii) Now cover your right nostril first with your thumb and inhale through the left.
iv) Hold your breath.
v) Now cover your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril.
This completes one cycle. Repeat it 3-4 times.
5] Lion's Breath:
As the name suggests, this technique ensures that the lion within you keeps roaring.
i) Sit in a thunderbolt pose with a small gap between your knees.
ii) Lean forward and place your palms on the ground with fingers wide apart.
iii) Now take a deep breath.
iv) Open your mouth and stick your tongue out such that it touches your chin.
v) Exhale forcefully and make a "Ha" sound from your abdomen while doing so.
This completes one cycle.
Yoga and Pranayama are now being practiced around the world as an exercise to enhance the quality of our lives. Their magical prowess has been accepted all over the world.
So next time, whenever you feel stressed and panicked, just drop everything and ‘BREATHE’.
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