Belly Breathing

Life is stressful – most of the time, we rush through our days without taking a moment to pause. Some people are not even really sure how to pause or what they can do to slow down. A combination of our go-go-go mentality and other stressors create a tendency to breathe with the chest muscles instead of the diaphragm. When we experience anxiety or stress, we breathe with shallow, quick breaths that can cause our bodies to go into fight or flight mode, which is great in an emergency, but not so great over time if we are in this mode consistently. The brain releases chemicals into the body to prepare to fight or to flee which can cause a person to feel anxious, jittery, and even more stressed if this energy is not released. When an issue resolves and someone takes a deep breathe or sighs, it signals the body that it can relax. Using this knowledge, you can do deep breathing using your diaphragm to create a peaceful and relaxed state within the body. This type of breathing is called belly breathing and is often taught to people as a technique to counter anxiety and stress and also to increase energy. Numerous research studies have shown the benefit of using this breathing technique to reduce stress, lower blood pressure over time, and reduce physiological symptoms of stress such as headaches. Here is how you do it:

Find a position you are comfortable in, it does not matter if you are sitting, standing, or laying down (which means you can do this anywhere).

Think only about your breathing. Let other thoughts fade into the background. Allow the sound of your breathe to become the only thing you can hear.

Lengthen your torso as much as possible. Many people like to use imagery and imagine a string running up from the top of their head pulling them up or imagine themselves as a flower reaching for the sun.

Place one hand on your belly.

Breathe in slowly imagining that there is a balloon in your belly that is blowing up with your inhale.  Fill your lungs as full as you can and pause for a second before exhaling.

Breathe out at an equally slow rate and imagine the balloon deflating. Squeeze your stomach slightly to empty the lungs completely.

With each breathe, try to slow the rate of breathing more if you can – the exhale should take longer than the inhale.

If at any time you begin to feel lightheaded, you should practice this breathing technique sitting or laying down only. Also, if you slow your breathing more, you may no longer feel lightheaded when you do this exercise.

After practicing this breathing technique and becoming more comfortable with it, you can add an additional element. On your exhale, allow your mouth to open and let out a gentle “ahhh” or "oohhmm" sound, slow and controlled.

This type of breathing is the basis for meditation and many eastern exercises such as yoga. Practice often and in time, you will feel more peace, balance, and relaxation in your life – Enjoy!