Just breathe...noticing your breath will anchor you in the present moment, help you to feel grounded and calm. Help you to relieve any stress and anxiety you may be experiencing. I find that when things seem to spiral and speed out of control, simply focusing on my breathing for a moment helps to slow down things to a more manageable speed.
Because we all have stress in our lives! So many of us live with chronic stress due to our jobs, our financial well-being, our health and mental well-being, or our relationships. And the situation of the world these days adds extra pressure to all this. Stress is very powerful and can affect us on many levels. It can cause a whole variety of physical illnesses, mental health issues, certainly a decrease in our quality of life. If you have any kind of chronic stress or anxiety in your life, it's important to find your solutions to reduce their detrimental effects. Otherwise you might live in a perpetual state of unwellness in mind, body and spirit.
Easy breathing practices are one of the best ways to help you to deal with the stress in your life. Breathing practices can help promote relaxation, calm the mind and body, bring you back into present moment mindfulness. Once you know the techniques, they are easy to do anytime and anywhere. And they can be an emergency remedy when you are experiencing a moment of intense stress or anxiety.
If you want to understand how our body deals with the stress we live with, here is a brief explanation. I think it's helpful to know the physical process behind the emotions. Or if you’re feeling particularly stressed today, skip to the breathing practices below…and just breathe.
It all has to do with our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, two parts to our autonomic nervous systems that play opposite but complementary roles in how we react to stress and stressful situations.
The sympathetic nervous system and the amygdala, a tiny, almond-shaped structure located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain, play crucial roles in our body’s response to fear and stress. When the amygdala perceives a threat to our survival, it triggers a complex physiological process that helps our body deal with this perceived danger. This is known as the fight-or-flight (or freeze) response. This mechanism was essential for our ancient ancestors when their safety was threatened by wild animals or other dangers.
In today’s world, while we rarely face the same physical dangers, our brains can react to modern stressors—like work pressure or social conflict—as if they were life-threatening. When we are stressed, anxious, or fearful, the amygdala activates the sympathetic nervous system, which sets off the fight-or-flight (or freeze) response, as though our survival is in danger. This triggers a cascade of physiological changes involving both the nervous and endocrine systems.
Adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol are released into the bloodstream. Our breathing becomes fast and shallow helping the lungs take in more oxygen for immediate physical needs, but into the upper lungs only (like hyper-ventilation). Our heart beats faster, our digestive system slows down, we become hyper-alert, our muscles tense, and our blood pressure rises. Our perception can narrow, memory may become impaired, and it becomes difficult to think clearly in the moment.
The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is responsible for calming the body and helping both mind and body recover from stress, returning us to a state of balance. When the threat or period of stress is over, the parasympathetic nervous system activates to reverse the effects of the fight-or-flight response. It slows down the heart rate, stimulates digestion, lowers blood pressure, and improves our mental state. Breathing becomes slower and deeper, engaging the diaphragm more than the chest. The parasympathetic nervous system is crucial for recovery and restoration after stress. It’s called the “rest and digest” state.
Fortunately, there are ways to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system and shift ourselves into the “rest and digest” state to help us reduce the effects of stress and anxiety. Meditation, yoga chanting or singing, getting into nature are some wonderful ways to do this. Breathing practices are one of the best to counteract the effects of stress, they can be done any time and with very little effort. The calming effects are profound and immediate. You just need to know a few techniques.
Here are 5 breathing practices to reduce stress and anxiety. You can be seated, standing or even lying down. Practice any of these for 5 to 10 minutes if you can. And even a few rounds of breath can help in a stressful or anxious moment.
1. Box Breathing (Sama Vritti Pranayama)
This exercise teaches us now to notice the ratios of our breathing and to regulate the flow of breath. It’s useful to calm and rebalance your mind. Box breathing is about having the 4 parts of the breath (inhale, pause after inhale, exhale, pause after exhale) all the of equal length. Breathing through your nose, inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. And repeat. You can visualize breathing around the sides of a box to help you focus. Repeat as long as you like.
2. Unequal Breathing (Vishama Vritti Pranayama)
This is a calming and relaxing practice that is about extending the exhale until it is twice as long as the inhale. Lengthening your exhale is a key component to calming the nervous system because it directly increases parasympathetic activity and reduces the effects of stress. Begin by observing the natural breath ratio, the length of the inhale to the length of exhale. Gradually extend the length of the exhale. For example if you start at a ratio of 4:4 (4 counts inhale, 4 counts exhale), start extending it so the exhale is a little longer, breath by breath: 4:5, then 4;6, 4:7 until you reach 4:8. No need to rush, just take your time and remember that the flow of your breath should remain smooth and relaxed. Take pauses between the inhale and exhale where you naturally would.
3. Lion’s Breath (Simhasana Pranayama)
This one may look silly but it is a dynamic practice that is both relaxing and energizing. To get the full benefit, practice this in Lion’s Pose (Simhasana), kneeling on the floor with your arms extended, hands placed firmly on your knees, fingers spread. (Or just sit crosslegged or on a chair with hands extended on knees). Close your eyes. Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale strongly through your mouth while sticking your tongue out and down, and vocalizing a hissing “ha” sound. At the same time, look up towards the third eye while exhaling. Close your eyes and repeat.
4. Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)
This is a fun and easy practice where you make a humming sound similar to the buzzing of a bee. It’s very calming and grounding, very much the “rest and digest” state. There are a few positions for this: sitting tall, lying down, or in Child’s Pose. Which ever way you choose, inhale through the nose in a relaxed way, and hum as you exhale completely. Aim for your humming exhalations to be as long as you can make them. Humming naturally lengthens your breath so this should feel relaxed, not forced. Play with different notes - lower, higher, and notice the shift in sensations. Play with this for as long as you like
5. Belly Breathing (Dirga Pranayama)
Belly breathing (also called diaphragmatic breathing) is an excellent practice to reduce stress and anxiety. The diaphragm is a flat, dome shaped muscle just under your lungs. In its resting position, the diaphragm billows up into the the chest cavity somewhat like a parachute or dome. When we inhale deeply we actually push the diaphragmatic floor downward, creating that sensation of filling your belly with breath. It’s an excellent way to breath efficiently. Here’s how. Place your one hand on your belly the other on your chest. inhale deeply through your nose in to first fill your belly, next fill your mid lungs, finally fill your upper lungs. Exhale deeply through your nose. Repeat several times. Learn more HERE.
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