By Thomas Hugh Green
You may be surprised to learn that chest breathing can actually make people feel more stress. Deeper breathing using our abdomen helps to create a calmer atmosphere and is the best way to do relaxation breathing.
How we feel is directly correlated to how we breathe. If we are breathing quick, shallow breaths then we aren't taking in as much as oxygen as we should and we may become more stressed. Remember, we breathe in oxgen and exhale carbon dioxide. It's imperative that there is a good balance of the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange in order for our bodies to function at their best.
Here are steps you can take to learn how to perform relaxation breathing correctly:
Check how you are breathing. You can do this by placing one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. After taking a few breaths, determine which hand is rising first. If the hand on your chest rises first, you are breathing with your chest and if the hand on your abdomen rises first, your breathing is already relaxed. Proceed to the next step if you find you are a shallow breather.
Sit in an upright position. You can do this exercise easily by sitting on a chair but make sure you sit up straight with your back to the chair. You can close your eyes if it helps you to focus better.
Place one palm on your chest and the other palm on your navel. Remember that you want the palm on your navel to rise first. This is when you know you are doing relaxation breathing correctly.
Gently breathe out air until your body begins to inhale again. Don't force your breathing just let your body breathe at it's own accord.
Continuing breathing this way for 5 to 10 minutes. It may take a few tries before you begin to breathe more deeply without having to think about it.
Breathing through our diaphragm allows us to breathe more deeply which helps our body and mind to relax. Quick, shallow breaths taken in through the chest will only agitate us and make it more difficult to relax.
Keep practicing this relaxation breathing exercise and soon enough you will notice that you will be more relaxed and less stressed on a more regular basis.
Another tip is before you start this exercise mark yourself out of 10 on the stress scale. 1 being not stressed at all and 10 being the most stressed you have ever been in your life. Then after you have completed the relaxation breathing you will know if you have made any progress in reducing stress by marking yourself out of 10 again.
You may be surprised to learn that chest breathing can actually make people feel more stress. Deeper breathing using our abdomen helps to create a calmer atmosphere and is the best way to do relaxation breathing.
How we feel is directly correlated to how we breathe. If we are breathing quick, shallow breaths then we aren't taking in as much as oxygen as we should and we may become more stressed. Remember, we breathe in oxgen and exhale carbon dioxide. It's imperative that there is a good balance of the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange in order for our bodies to function at their best.
Here are steps you can take to learn how to perform relaxation breathing correctly:
Check how you are breathing. You can do this by placing one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. After taking a few breaths, determine which hand is rising first. If the hand on your chest rises first, you are breathing with your chest and if the hand on your abdomen rises first, your breathing is already relaxed. Proceed to the next step if you find you are a shallow breather.
Sit in an upright position. You can do this exercise easily by sitting on a chair but make sure you sit up straight with your back to the chair. You can close your eyes if it helps you to focus better.
Place one palm on your chest and the other palm on your navel. Remember that you want the palm on your navel to rise first. This is when you know you are doing relaxation breathing correctly.
Gently breathe out air until your body begins to inhale again. Don't force your breathing just let your body breathe at it's own accord.
Continuing breathing this way for 5 to 10 minutes. It may take a few tries before you begin to breathe more deeply without having to think about it.
Breathing through our diaphragm allows us to breathe more deeply which helps our body and mind to relax. Quick, shallow breaths taken in through the chest will only agitate us and make it more difficult to relax.
Keep practicing this relaxation breathing exercise and soon enough you will notice that you will be more relaxed and less stressed on a more regular basis.
Another tip is before you start this exercise mark yourself out of 10 on the stress scale. 1 being not stressed at all and 10 being the most stressed you have ever been in your life. Then after you have completed the relaxation breathing you will know if you have made any progress in reducing stress by marking yourself out of 10 again.
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