Breathing Relaxation Technique

Breathing Relaxation Techniques can be practiced at anytime to overcome anger, anxiety, and other draining emotions, or just to get yourself in a place where you can be creative and thoughtful.  Most of us are shallow breathers, and air only stays in the top of our lungs. Deep breathing exercises will get more oxygen into our brains and into the rest of our body and can be a precursor to needed quietness or meditation.

• Sit up straight, lie prostrate or stand up.
• Loosen up clothing, especially if your stomach feels tight.
• Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth.
• Put one hand on your abdominal area (over your belly button).
• When you inhale, feel your hand expanding as air is filled up in your diaphragm
• When you exhale, feel your hand retracting to the initial placement
• Count in your mind the number of inhales and exhales, and gradually level them off such that both take equal counts.
• Slowly, add a count to your exhale.
• Keep adding a count to your exhale until the count for exhales doubles that of the count for inhales.
• Repeat this breathing rhythm for 5 to 10 times.
• Keep your eyes closed in silence for a few minutes afterwards.