8 Breathing Exercises to Relax in a Moment

The prevailing lifestyle in societies like ours, which reinforce competition and constant self-improvement, produces a high amount of stress on our body, which alters our well-being and can lead to anxiety problems and even disorders. One of the ways to control our mental activation and stress is through breathing.

Respiration is one of the basic functions of the body that allows us to obtain the oxygen necessary for survival. This function can be hindered by the presence of stress or contextual elements that cause the development of accelerated patterns that make it difficult for oxygen to enter the body correctly.

However, training this function can greatly contribute to reducing the level of stress caused by environmental and social circumstances. through relaxation, reducing problems of insomnia, hypertension, headache, asthma, sexual dysfunctions or phobias in addition to helping to better control the perceptual process, the management of pain or other sensations produced by organic or mental causes.

Some effective breathing techniques

Below we proceed to indicate a series of simple breathing exercises that can be carried out to relax the body and mind.

1. Deep breathing

The easiest exercise to perform of those presented here. Basically serves to calm down after a situation of stress or effort It is based on taking air through the nose, keeping it in the lungs and finally releasing it gently through the mouth. Each of the steps should last around four seconds.

2. Diaphragmatic/abdominal breathing

This exercise is also very simple. It is similar to the previous one, but In this case breathing will be abdominal To carry it out you need a place where you can be comfortable, preferably sitting or lying down. First, inhale through the nose for around four seconds, keeping the air inside for a few seconds and expelling it gently through the mouth. Long inhalations are required, with a high volume of air entering the body.

By putting one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest, it is possible to check if the air is being delivered correctly to the intended areas. The hand on the chest should not move when inhaling, while the air should be felt filling the belly.

This training causes parasympathetic control and a decrease in heart rate It is recommended to try to generalize and automate this type of breathing in order to maintain a certain control over the arousal or activation level of the body.

3. Complete breathing

This type of breathing combines deep and abdominal breathing in a single technique The process begins with the expulsion of all the air from the lungs. You proceed by inhaling gently and deeply until you first fill the abdomen, and continue inhaling until you also fill the lungs and chest in the same inhalation. The air is held for a few seconds and then it is expelled orally and slowly first through the thorax and then the abdomen.

4. Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhana

This technique generally applied in the world of yoga is based on alternating between the nostrils when inhaling. Firstly, one of the nostrils is covered to perform a deep inhalation through the free nostril. Once inhaled, we proceed to cover the nostril through which the air entered and uncover the other, through which exhalation will occur.

The same procedure is then repeated, this time starting with the opposite nostril to the previous occasion (that is, the one through which the exhalation was performed). This technique appears to be effective in clearing the mind, activating those who practice it

5. Breath of fire or Kapalabhati

Another technique from yoga The breathing exercise begins with a slow, deep inhalation, followed by a rapid and forced exhalation from the abdomen. The inhalation-exhalation rate is increased every two seconds for a total of ten breaths. This is a very energizing breath, but some caution is recommended as it can cause hyperventilation and abdominal pain. For this reason, it is not highly recommended for people with high anxiety.

6. Breathing for anger control

This type of exercise is especially indicated in situations that provoke anger, in order to control it. Taking into account that inhaling causes the arrival of oxygen to the body, and therefore energy, it may be advisable that in situations in which we want to control our anger we focus on exhalation, a process that is generally relaxing and releasing pressure.

For this exercise you will simply exhale forcefully, emptying your lungs as much as possible in a long and powerful exhalation. Afterwards, we will inhale when our body needs it, to repeat the procedure until the sensation of pressure has decreased.

7. Guided visualization

Used as a relaxation mechanism, this technique especially allows mental tranquility It is based on taking deep, regular breathing while a therapist or recording indicates the type of thoughts or images that the individual should imagine. Generally it is about placing the person in a pleasant mental scenario, which allows them to see their goals and visualize themselves achieving them. This is a technique also used in mindfulness.

8. Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation

It is a relaxation technique that includes control of breathing and muscle tension With your eyes closed and a comfortable posture, you proceed to maintain deep, regular breathing. Subsequently, a tour of all the muscle groups of the body is carried out.

Each muscle group will be tense in periods of three to ten seconds and then rest for ten to thirty seconds (it is recommended that the relaxation period be three times as long as the tension period), doing series of three repetitions.

The muscle relaxation process will begin at the most distal ends of the body, that is, the extremities and points furthest from the center of the body, until reaching the head. Thus, the tension-relaxation routine will begin with the feet, to continue with the legs, buttocks, hands, arms, back, chest, neck, jaw and head.

It must be performed with some caution given that the presence of small cramps, dizziness, tingling or hyperventilation is common (if present, it is recommended to stop the exercise), but it is a very useful technique even in clinical practice.