10 Conscious Breathing Techniques And Exercises (with Explanation)

Breathing is a fundamental physiological process for our life. We breathe thousands of times each day, feeding our cells with oxygen and expelling waste in the form of carbon dioxide.

But despite its importance, we have this process fully automated. We breathe without realizing it, and thank goodness because we could not be aware of this process 24 hours a day.

However, by becoming aware of how we breathe for a few moments we can greatly improve our emotional health and, to achieve this, Here are a few conscious breathing techniques and exercises

10 recommended conscious breathing exercises and techniques

Every day we breathe an average of 20,000 times. Breathing is an automatic physiological process that begins as soon as we are born and is not interrupted until the last breath of our life. It is fundamental to our existence, which is why we never stop breathing. This process nourishes the body’s cells with oxygen and causes us to expel the remains in the form of carbon dioxide.

We constantly inhale and exhale, a physiological process that despite being fundamental to our lives and we do not stop for a single moment in doing so, in most cases we are not aware of it. Or have you counted how many times you have breathed since you started reading this article? Surely not, since it is a process that is maintained automatically. You don’t need to think to do it.

Breathing well, consciously, not only allows us to continue living while maintaining our physiological functions In addition to this, by breathing well, by making a conscious effort to improve it, we will not only recharge the cells of our body, but we will also ensure that there is a recharge at all levels of our being, both physical and mental. And fortunately for us, unlike the heartbeat, we can easily modify our breathing, we just have to put in the work.

Despite being an automatic process, we can modify it, change the way we breathe for a moment and enjoy benefits for our health It can even improve our mood by breathing consciously and correctly for a few minutes a day. Breathing well can be magical and for this reason we are going to see about 10 conscious breathing techniques and exercises.

1. Deep breathing

This is one of the simplest breathing techniques, ideal to apply anytime, anywhere. Its function is to calm us down when we are stressed, although we can use it without needing to be upset. The point is that it serves to induce a calm and relaxed state of mind.

It consists of taking air through your nose for about 4 seconds. We keep it in our lungs while we count to 4 mentally and very calmly. After that time, we proceed to release the air calmly for another 4 seconds. We repeat as many times as necessary, although we recommend 5 or 6.

2. Complete breathing

In this exercise abdominal breathing is applied which is deep.

First we expel all the air from the lungs, making them very empty. Afterwards, we proceed to inhale gently and deeply, in order to fill the abdomen as much as possible, followed by the lungs and chest. We hold the air for about 4 seconds and expel it slowly, noticing how the chest empties first and then the abdomen.

3. Wim Hof ​​Breathing Technique

This is a technique that has achieved some fame in blogs and pages specialized in conscious breathing. It is attributed to the Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof ​​or “Iceman”, known worldwide for his ability to tolerate freezing temperatures In this technique breathing is combined with meditation.

The first thing we have to do is simply lie down. In a horizontal position we will take a series of 30 or 40 deep breaths, retaining as much air as possible for as long as we can before releasing it. We breathe in as much as possible, filling our lungs as much as we can and as much as we notice We hold for about 12 seconds and then we expel as slowly as possible.

This technique is not considered suitable for pregnant women, people with hypertension or epilepsy due to its complexity and risks. It implies a certain risk of fading due to holding the air for so long which is why it is recommended to do it safely, while sitting or lying down.

4. Oxygenating all cells

This is another technique proposed by Wim Hof. According to its defenders, the practice of this conscious breathing exercise serves to cleanse the body of accumulated carbon dioxide and oxygenate the entire nervous system. However, it brings with it the drawback that a case of hyperventilation can occur because a lot of oxygen can be introduced more than the body is used to.

We will sit up straight and as comfortably as we can, preferably on an empty stomach or after getting up in the morning. We will inhale the air through the nose and expel it through the mouth in short but intense bursts, as if we were inflating a balloon or trying to knock down a house of cards with a strong blow.

In this first phase we will do these steps about 30 times with our eyes closed It is very important to be careful, since it may be the case that due to hyperventilation we feel slight dizziness.

Then we move on to the next phase. It consists of, first, inhaling and filling the lungs as much as we can, but without forcing. Afterwards, we will let the air out and hold it for as long as we can without feeling uncomfortable. Subsequently, we will introduce as much air as possible again and, feeling the expansion of our chest, we will hold our breath for about 10 seconds.

With all this we have completed an entire cycle, which we can repeat three or four more times, starting again with the batch of 30 times in which We imagine that we inflate a balloon and ending the phase in which we retain the air for about 10 seconds After finishing the exercise, we will breathe normally again, calmly and in silence.

5. Breathing of maximum relaxation

We will breathe through the nose and expel the air through the mouth. At the end of the exhalation, we will pause, waiting patiently for the body to begin the next inhalation

Each breath through the nose will be slow and calm. Upon reaching the maximum inhalation point, we will slowly release the air through the open mouth and then, still without closing the mouth and with the jaw relaxed, we will pause. We will consciously wait until we notice that the body is asking us to breathe again.

After two or three breaths we will take the necessary time between one breath and the next to feel how relaxation conquers our entire body. Then, we will breathe thinking about a specific area of ​​our body that we consider to be still very tense, breathing at the same pace as throughout the entire exercise and as many times as necessary until we notice how we achieve relaxation.

6. Breathing to sleep better

This conscious breathing exercise It will help us control stress and, consequently, we will sleep better We place the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper incisors. We will inhale through the nose for about 4 seconds, we will hold our breath for between 6 and 8 seconds.

Once these first two parts have been passed, We exhale through our mouth, pursing our lips and making noise, blowing, noticing how we release all our internal tension, for about 8 seconds We will repeat the entire exercise about four more times.

7. Breathing to center the mind and eliminate tension

This exercise It is considered ideal to start practicing conscious breathing for the first time Its objective is to ensure that our attention is focused solely on breathing, completely removing from our focus any tension or worry that may be lingering in our minds.

We start by breathing gently, in the calmest way possible. We will take long, shallow breaths through the nose in and out. Meanwhile, We will imagine that we have a tray of ashes right in front of our face, ashes so light that even the slightest passing air could fly. That is why we are going to breathe as carefully and gently as possible.

With this exercise we will calm the mind, silencing any negative and worrying thoughts that are stalking us. We will feel more peace if we keep our eyes closed. We will continue taking several more slow, long breaths, trying not to produce the slightest agitation.

8. Conscious breathing with children

This is a conscious breathing exercise that we can do with children, in addition to being highly recommended for those people who tend to strain their voices or who tend to have sore throats and hoarseness.

We begin by inhaling and, meanwhile, we tilt our head slightly back. When we expel the air we will bring our head forward, open our mouth as much as possible and stick our tongue downwards We will exhale making noise, as if it were the breath of a lion that we are imitating, but without making the vocal cords sound. It is about exhaling as if exaggerated, but not raising your voice.

9. Yogic conscious breathing

This exercise is the yogic version of the previous breathing We do exactly the same thing, except that we will sit on our calves or in a chair and place our hands on each knee, with our fingers separated. We will inhale and, when exhaling, we will open our mouth as much as possible, sticking out our tongue as in the previous case, in addition to opening our eyes wide, looking towards the sky and stretching our fingers towards the ground.

10. Balancing the mind

Another ideal breathing exercise to clear the mind, perfect to do before having to face a very cognitively demanding task such as a university or selectivity exam.

We will cover one of the nostrils (nostrils) with our thumb and breathe slowly through the other side, counting to 8. We will retain the air for about 4 seconds and, when we have done so, we will cover the other nostril and exhale up to 8 through the hole that was previously covered.

We can practice this exercise for a few minutes, constantly changing nostrils after each exhalation Since we simply have to cover our noses, it can be done at any time and place, without the need to do strange postures. By proxy it can be done even while already taking the exam, calming down while reading the questions.