3 Breathing Techniques to Help Keep Your Cool.
We all know meditation is not only on trend it is also super beneficial to our mental, physical and spiritual health. However to be honest I used to be one of those people who just “didn’t have the time to meditate” and wondered what all the fuss was about. I was prone to anxiety, spiralling negative thoughts and extremely disconnected from my body and the present moment. Go figure.
After a few years of exploring meditation through various phone applications, short courses and novels I decided this tool wasn’t so underrated. It was clear the positive side effects of this practice brought to my overall mood and anxiety levels. It was then that I made the decision to share this tool with my coaching clients and community.
As part of my Meditation Teacher Training one of the first areas we focused on was the way in which we breathe. The breath, I believe is the most important part of meditation as it allows us to participate fully in the physical process of breathing as we take oxygen into our lungs. This sounds simple however many people do not always breathe fully.
“Many anxiety sufferers breathe too fast and shallow” – Anxiety Australia
Whether or not you experience feelings of anxiety, breathing techniques are powerful and effective when stress and worry are on the rise. Below are a handful of techniques you can keep in your back pocket to practice anywhere at anytime.
*Close your eyes before beginning each exercise.
Relaxed Breathing – breathing in all the way down into your abdomen, holding for a moment and then slowly releasing the breath.
To Practice – breathe in through your nose for the count of 1, 2 ,3. Hold the breath for the count of 1,2,3. And then breathe out from your nose for the count of 1, 2, 3. Repeat for 5 full breath cycles.
Circular Breathing – breathing in all the way down into your abdomen and then slowly releasing the breath in a continuous cycle.
To Practice – breathe in through your nose for the count of 1,2,3,4 and then slowly release the breath through the nose for the count of 1,2,3,4. Repeat for 5 full breath cycles.
Body Scan Breathing – scan your body to find the part of you that feels most worried or anxious. It might be your chest, stomach or another body part. Breathe into this part of your body and with each breath feel the tension subside.
To Practice (this one is great lying down) – Scan you body and locate the most anxious/tense part. Breathe into this part of your body deeply and slowly and imagine filling that part with your favourite cool and calming colours. As you breathe deeply and focus on that area feel the tension slowly begin to subside. Take your time. You might also choose to imagine breathing out the tension through your mouth with each exhale.
There you have it. Some of my favourite breathing techniques. If none of these take your fancy then I suggest going outside, putting your device down and just sitting in silence. Somewhat foreign I know, but I promise you that you do not need to be sitting in a 10 day silent retreat in the Himalayas to feel the benefits of this practice.
Enjoy Beautiful x