While going through some difficult times recently in addition to the planning for the upcoming holidays, I was suddenly reminded of the need to manage daily stress. There is one thing our bodies stop doing when under stress, BREATHE! Its’ often something we don’t realize or think about but can be crucial to relaxing and relieving stress. Unlike meditation, which is another good source, you don’t need a quiet place to sit with music.
This simple technique is one I love because you can do it anywhere (shopping, airports, or at your desk), you don’t need any equipment, and you feel instant results. It acts as a natural tranquilizer and instantly calms the nervous system. I learned this technique years ago from Dr. Andrew Weil and it has become a daily tool for me. Just follow these directions and it will soon become second nature.
Although you can do the exercise in any position, its best to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward. Remember as you go through this exercise to maintain the breathing count of “4:7:8″…
- ·Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- ·Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mentalcount of four
- Hold your breath for acount of seven
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh 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.
To do this correctly, you will 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. It’s not important how long it takes you to complete it, but the ratio of 4:7:8 is important to getting results. So if you find it difficult to hold your breath, you can speed it up until you get more practice of inhaling and exhaling more deeply.
Resources:
Spirit & Inspiration: Breathing-3 exercises.
