{"id":12373,"date":"2022-10-04T09:45:58","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T09:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srisrischoolofyoga.org\/na\/?p=12373"},"modified":"2023-08-28T17:31:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T21:31:01","slug":"breathing-techniques-physical-and-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srisrischoolofyoga.org\/na\/blog\/breathing-techniques-physical-and-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Breathing Techniques For Your Physical and Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breathing techniques and pranayama can help you relieve stress, calm the mind, enjoy better sleep, and also improve your lung capacity. These can also be therapeutic for many ailments. Try one of these time-tested techniques today, and start breathing optimally and feel better!<\/p>\n

Breath is life!<\/span><\/h2>\n

Our first act when we\u2019re born is breathing in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our last act before we die is breathing out.<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens in between is called life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How long can you survive without food? Probably for weeks or months.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long can you survive without breathing? No more than a few minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breath is life. It is the basis for our very existence, yet we don’t pay it much attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

We go through between 12 and 20 cycles of breath per minute and about 22,000 cycles of breath per day, but unless we\u2019re exercising or suffering from a congestive illness we probably don\u2019t even notice we\u2019re breathing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a <\/span>secret in our breath<\/b> that can unlock vibrant mental and physical health. Learning how to breathe properly can change our lives dramatically for the better.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Breath and mind connection<\/span><\/h2>\n

Have you noticed your breathing becomes fast and ragged when you’re angry, and smooth and slow when you\u2019re calm?<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you observed you tend to take shallow breaths when you are anxious?<\/span><\/p>\n

By paying attention to your breath, with mindful breathing and practicing breathing exercises, you can easily bring the mind to a pleasant state from an unpleasant one.\u00a0 In doing so, you also reduce stress by regulating the life force in the system.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Seven Breathing techniques for better health<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"breathing-tecniques\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing exercises help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.\u00a0 They also reduce muscle tension, relax the nervous system, aid us in falling asleep, and can even support treatment for many serious lung conditions.<\/p>\n

Some techniques work quickly to give immediate relief, while others work best when practiced over a longer period of time. Breathing exercises are also an integral element of yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and other relaxation techniques.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most pulmonary rehabilitation programs teach breathing exercises to support the recovery of people suffering from lung conditions like asthma and COPD.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are seven breathing techniques to improve both your physical health and your state of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Deep breathing for stress relief<\/span><\/h3>\n

Simply taking a few deep breaths can be an effective way to deal with any stressful situation. Taking a slow, gentle, deep breath can slow the heartbeat and bring relaxation in no time.<\/span><\/p>\n

To perform deep breathing:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Sit upright in a comfortable position, and consciously relax your whole body.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Inhale slowly for a count of four, filling up your lungs fully.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Exhale slowly for a count of four to six, emptying the lungs completely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Deep breathing works wonders for anxiety and stress relief. You can also do up to ten rounds lying in your bed to fall asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    2. HA breathing to release nervous tension<\/span><\/h3>\n

    While sitting comfortably, breathe in through your nose. Fill your belly all the way up with air. When you can’t breathe in anymore, open your mouth and breathe out forcefully through the mouth, making a loud “HA” sound. Repeat several times.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You can also do this in a standing position. Stretch your arms forward as you take a deep breath in, and gently twist your upper body to the left side. Then breathe out with a \u201cHA\u201d sound, as you gently twist your body to the right side. After three to five rounds, switch sides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you don’t have any severe back conditions, you can also do another variation.\u00a0 Take a deep breath in, raise your arms above your head, and bend your upper body gently backward.\u00a0 Breathing out completely with the “HA” sound, bend forward. Repeat five to seven times. This technique helps to reduce stress and muscle tension instantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    3. Straw breathing to strengthen your lungs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Also known as Pursed lip breathing<\/span>, <\/span>this is an easy breathing exercise for slowing down a person’s breathing, and getting more fresh air into their lungs, while also releasing the trapped stale air. According to<\/span> Medical News Today<\/span><\/a>, regular practice of this technique can help strengthen the lungs and make them work more efficiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sit on a comfortable chair, and practice pursed-lip breathing along with this video to feel calmer within minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n