3 Calming Breathing Techniques
Take a moment to notice your breath.
How does the quality of your breath feel today? Can you notice the inhale and exhale? Where do you feel the breath passing through your body - in your chest or down in your belly (or somewhere else)? Can you hear the sound of the breath? Does the process of breathing feel in any way tight or laboured?
The way we breathe can tell us a lot about how we are feeling. When the mind is busy and the body is tense, our breath tends to be short and shallow. When we are calm and relaxed, the breath is long and deep. Just in the same way the mind can influence the breath, the breath can also influence the mind.
Breath work / breathing control is also known as Pranayama. ‘Prana’ in Sanskrit means life force or vital energy. Learning how to be aware and cultivate this energy is key to our yoga practice - both on and off the mat. Learning breathing techniques has supported me through many moments of high stress or bubbling anxiety, to calm a busy mind or boost my energy when I’m feeling a little flat.
There are so many wonderful breathing techniques to share, but in this post I will guide you through three simple techniques to help you find calm. Sometimes they can take a moment to get the hang of - once you do, add them to your tool kit so you can call upon them whenever you need.
Counted Breath - 4,2,6,2
This breathing technique is perfect to practice when all of a sudden you are feeling overwhelmed and need to keep cool. The mind is racing, so we anchor it in the breath by counting either internally or externally. It goes a little like this:
Inhale for 1, 2, 3,4
Hold for 2
Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Hold for 2
Repeat as many times as needed. If you have a different capacity, alter the numbers - for example; inhaling for 5, exhaling for 10 - whatever feels most comfortable for you. The beauty of this breathing technique is that we are actively lengthening the exhale. When the exhale is longer than the inhale, the body starts to move closer towards the rest and digest state (parasympathetic nervous system), rather than fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system).
2. Ujjayi (Victorious) Breath
This is a breathing technique that perhaps you have come across before as it is often practiced in a physical yoga class. Although it can seem a little intimidating at first (maybe because it sounds a little like Darth Vader!) - But once you get comfortable with it, Ujjayi is a wonderful way to follow the breath, slow it down and gently warm the body.
The action is the same as a whisper, or like you are fogging up a mirror. Give it a go! Practice the ‘fogging up a mirror’ action a few times - then close your mouth. Breathe in through your nose, then exhale through your nose with the same action in the throat. You will notice that the breath becomes more audible, but no so much that anyone else would notice.
3. Full Yogic Breath
Most of us feel our breath mostly in the chest, this is especially true if we are feeling stressed. Full yogic breathe encourages us to explore a fuller breath. Try this:
Sit comfortably and place both hands on your lower belly. As you inhale, send the breath down to your hands, expanding the belly into your palms. Repeat three times.
Now, guide the hands up to your lower ribs. As you inhale, send the breath down to your hands, expanding the ribcage outwards into your palms. Repeat three times.
Finally, lift hands further so your finger tips are touching your collar bones. As you inhale, feel the breath rise into your palms - lifting your chest freely. Repeat three times.
Now let’s link it all together… On your inhale, feel the breath rise through your belly, ribs then chest… On your exhale, feel the breath fall through your chest, ribs then belly. Repeat this slow, methodical breathing technique as many times as you like.
