5 Breathing Techniques For Stress, Anxiety, And Calming

In this audio track, I'll talk through 5 breathing exercises or techniques that I have found helpful and have coached some of my team members for well being. I'll cover the basics of each technique and give simple instruction on how to execute them. Use these techniques for stress, anxiety, calming down, or if you're curious about new ways to relax and learn about breath work.

Transcript

Welcome to this audio track. I'm Aaron Hugh Bach, And I'm going to talk through five breathing exercises that can help with panic and anxiety or if you're just simply looking for some new ways to relax and calm yourself. We can assume that you know what anxiety and panic are and that's why you're here because you want to see how this can help you. Anxiety appears to be increasing among people as the world moves so fast and there's information that we hear about that can leave us worried for ourselves and our loved ones. If we can find ways to help deal with these anxieties, It will be better for our overall well-being. So here are five breathing exercises to help you manage your emotions and relieve your anxiety and stress. The first one is straw breath or pursed-lipped breathing. This one may be the easiest and the one that can give you immediate relief from anxiety and panic. Not only is it easy to learn, But it's also easy to remember because there's no counting involved. For this technique, You simply breathe in deeply through your nose, Then exhale through your mouth very slowly as if you're breathing out of an invisible straw with pursed lips, Hence the name pursed-lipped breathing. So let's take a few seconds to try this as it's very simple. Breathe in through your nose and exhale while concentrating as if you have a straw in your mouth with pursed lips. The second technique is alternate nostril breathing or ANB. It's also known as Nadi Shodhan, Which is the traditional name from ancient Indian yoga that alternate nostril breathing derives from. ANB also gets its name from alternating between the left nostril and the right nostril, Only breathing out of one nostril at a time, Using your fingers to block the other side. ANB can be used both before and after stressful situations as it brings balance to the mind and emotions. This is sometimes used before a meditation session as well. So take a few seconds to try this. Block one nostril, Breathe in and out slowly, Then alternate to the other side and breathe in and out slowly. While doing this, Keep your mouth closed and concentrate on the breathing. The third technique is Ujjayi breath or ocean breath. This is used in yoga often and this technique can immediately calm you and be helpful with both anxiety and panic. Ujjayi means victory, Specifically victory over too many thoughts in your mind. So you may hear this referred to as victory or victorious breath as well. The breathing will be through your nose, So you will need your mouth closed. When you inhale and exhale, The duration for both should be equal. When you breathe in, Constrict your throat in a way that makes a rushing or ocean noise and make the same noise as you exhale. Think about if you were doing this and pretending to snore, But don't quite go all the way to making a snoring noise. If you're still having trouble understanding this, Think about inhaling with your mouth closed and letting out a sigh with your mouth closed. Control your breathing with your diaphragm. And as you concentrate, Take your breaths in and out as if you have been victorious from your wandering mind that was once anxious and you're now on your way to calm down. The fourth technique is called square breathing or box breathing. Square breathing is more basic and the instructions are to breathe to a specific count, Inhaling, Holding and exhaling slightly longer to increase relaxation and then holding again. So the way this works is basically four steps. Or if you think about a square, You make four equal lines that touch each other and they become a square. So step one is to inhale for a count of four seconds. Step two is to hold your breath at that point for four seconds. Step three, You exhale for four seconds. Then step four, You hold for four seconds and then you repeat that. Four seconds is a guideline so you can choose what duration may work for you. But the thinking behind this is that you're doing four equal steps or four lines to make a square or a box. The fifth technique is Brahmari or B-Breath. B-Breath is very effective in instantly calming your mind. So to do this, Get into a place that is quiet. Sit in a comfortable position with a straight back. Close your eyes and keep a small smile on your face. Take your two index fingers and cover your ears by pressing the cartilage and plugging them. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, Make a humming sound like a bee while you're still pressing the cartilage and covering your ears. You can continue to keep it pressed or press it in and out with your fingers. The humming sound can be low pitched or high pitched. Or you can use both pitches. You want to do the inhalation and exhalation slowly and do this same pattern five to nine times. Keep your eyes closed and feel the sensations in the body and the quietness within while humming. So there you have it. These are five breathing exercises or techniques that you can do to help relieve yourself from stress, Anxiety, And anxiety. These are five breathing exercises or techniques that you can do to help relieve yourself from stress, Anxiety, Panic, Or just in general, If you're looking for new ways to relax. Thank you for taking your time to listen.

Reviews

Thank you for sharing these helpful breathing techniques. 🙏