Breathwork + Quick exercise

“Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Respiration, or to re-spirit, allows us to find instant calm and inner peace. What do we do before we give a presentation or walk into a job interview? We take deep breaths. I didn’t learn how to truly breathe until I was 25. During that time I began practicing yoga regularly and in the first class, I realized, “Wow, I didn’t know how to breathe until now.” There is certainly a felt-difference between voluntary and involuntary breathwork. Interestingly enough, the words for spirit and breath are one and the same (Sanskrit prana, Hebrew ruach, Greek pneuma, Latin spiritus). Native Americans, among others, believe that life enters the body with the first breath, not at the moment of birth or of conception.

Neat fact: Breathing is something we are able to do unconsciously as well as consciously. 

This is a quick exercise to regulate your breathing and inner energies. Thanks to deep breaths, the nervous system is immediately soothed and the mind is calmed. 

Body Scan:

  • Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale out of your slightly opened mouth, notice where any discomfort or tension is being held in your body. 

  • Be present with the discomfort as you continue to naturally and slowly inhale and exhale.

  • Simply notice what you are holding in your body and where it is (e.g. neck, shoulders, chest, etc.) but refrain from placing a quality or judgement to it (e.g. I shouldn’t be feeling this; the way this feels is bad; no one else feels this way so why do I). 

Continue breathing and relaxing the muscles throughout your body. 

Breathwork:

Allow yourself to breathe deeply, from the belly. Let your belly rise with each inhale and fall with each exhale. Notice if your chest rises or your belly rises when you breathe. Aim for deep belly breaths. 

  • Exhale completely through your mouth, making a haaaaaa 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 haaaaaa 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.

Note that with this breathing technique, you 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.

Sara Libertobreathwork, body psychology, breathe, mindfulness, health, emotional health, psychology of emotions, psychology, meditation, consciousness, relaxation