4 Breathing Techniques To Change Your Life

Before you begin reading this post, take a deep breath. Go ahead! Inhale some air and then let it all out. How did that feel? Good?! I bet! Every single time I meditate, the first breath I take is truly the best! I suck in all the air that I can possibly endure (without making myself pass out) and then I release it all and with the air my shoulders drop and I feel an instant sense of release. The best feeling EVER!

Through my journey into holistic healing, meditation has been crucial in changing my life and one of the most important pieces to meditation is the breathing. You surely could simply breathe in and out without any specific alterations and feel absolutely magical at the end of the meditation BUT I want to introduce you to 4 different breathing techniques that I find to be life changing.

Diaphragmatic breathing involves breathing deep into the stomach and fully engaging the diaphragm. This is also sometimes called belly breathing.

Here are some of the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing:

• Helps you relax

• Improves muscle function during exercises

• Increases the amount of oxygen entering your blood

• Makes it easier for your body to release gas waste from your lungs

• Reduces blood pressure and heart rate

  
  

Here’s how you do it!:

• Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs if lying flat hurts your back. (Yes you can do this sitting up like I'm doing in the picture but it's best while lying down.)

• Place one hand on your upper chest right at your heart’s center and the other just below your rib cage where your solar plexus’s is located.

• Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach pushes outward, causing your hand to rise. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.

• As you exhale through pursed or puckered lips, tighten your stomach muscles, so that your stomach moves inward, causing your hand to lower. The hand on your upper chest should remain as still as possible.

Lion’s breath is a type of breathing that mimics a lion’s roar. As you breathe, you stick out your tongue and let out an audible exhale letting a “haaaa” sound escape from your body. This form of breathing helps to relieve stress and anxiety and improve lung function. Just don’t do it in the middle of a quiet library because I’m sure you will get asked to quiet down or vacate the premises. Ready to try it!?

• Get into a comfortable seated position, with your back straight and your hands resting on your knees or thighs.

• Inhale deeply through your nose for a few counts.

• As you exhale, breathe out through your mouth, sticking out your tongue and making a ‘haaaa’ sound,” As you do so, your gaze should move gently upward, toward the ceiling.

• Repeat five to 10 times, taking a few normal breaths in between rounds as needed.

Alternate nostril breathing involves isolating your nostrils one at a time, breathing in through only one of them at a time and then exhaling through the other. Although uncomfortable and maybe complicated at first, doing so can do wonders with reducing stress, sharpening focus, increasing energy, and improve your breathing overall. I will say…don’t try this when you have a stuffy nose. 0 out of 10…Do not recommend!

Let’s do it now together:

Bring your right hand up to your nose, with your index finger hovering over your left nostril and your thumb hovering over your right nostril. Gently pressing down to close your right nostril breath in fully through your left nostril then switch to close your left nostril as you exhale completely through your right. Then while continuing to press down on your left nostril, inhale through your right nostril, then switch to press down on the right nostril as you exhale through your left. Whenever a nostril isn’t in use for an inhale or an exhale, it should be held shut with your finger or thumb.

4-7-8 breathing involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8. This pattern aims to reduce anxiety and/or help people get to sleep as it brings your mind and body into a state of calm. Breathing in this way has the potential to help train your body to better respond to stress.

Give these breathing techniques a try. Leave a comment with which you tried and how you felt afterward.

Breathing = Health

Breathing = Peace

Breathing = Life