Breathing properly plays a vital role while performing yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques. If you want to learn how to calm your mind and body, then you should excel in the process of proper breathing. The value of proper breathing is of equal importance to eating a balanced diet, exercising, and leading a healthier lifestyle.
How you breathe can reduce your blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels in your body. Learn different breathing techniques as they can help you slow your body’s reaction to stress, burnout, and fatigue. Even therapists, yogis, doctors, and athletic trainers believe firmly in the benefits of deep, mindful breathing. While these methods might have different effects on different people, you can never go wrong with it.
Following are the different types of breathing techniques that you should incorporate in your daily routine to improve your health.
1. Mindful breathing:
This method involves becoming aware of your breath and concentrating on it. It does not include trying to change the manner in which you breathe. Though, the act of focusing on the breath usually slows down breathing patterns and make them more relaxed. When you focus on how you exhale and inhale the air through your mouth, nose, and lungs, it becomes a form of calming meditation.
2. Mantra breathing:
In this method, you recite a mantra, which helps you focus on your breath. A mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat to yourself to create focus. When you repeatedly chant a mantra, you become able to relax and meditate.
3. Square breathing:
This technique uses visualization to create focus. While inhaling, visualize one side of a square. Then, visualize the next side of the square while exhaling. Repeat the same process until you have imagined each side of a square.
4. Nostril breathing:
This method helps to reduce anxiety and agitation. When you breathe, you have to close off one nostril while inhaling air slowly through the other. Repeat the same by closing off the second nostril while blowing through the first. Calmly repeat the process until you begin to feel relaxed.
5. Pranayama breathing:
You can you this cleansing breathing technique to practice yoga. Experts say that by practicing pranayama regularly, you can clean 72,000 channels in the body. Pranayama involves inhaling deeply with the mouth closed and then exhaling through the nose. It also cleans blood and clears your respiratory system, allowing clean oxygen to travel to your heart and brain.
6. Belly breath:
This breathing technique can be easily practiced as you can feel your body inhaling and exhaling air by the movement of your abdomen. Start by lying down on a bed or the floor. Then, place one hand on your stomach and inhale slowly through the nose while notice the abdomen rising. While exhaling, you contract the abdomen muscles and push the air out of your lungs.
These different breathing techniques can be used throughout the day to regulate your stress levels and pump oxygen-rich nutrients into your heart and brain. They also promote a healthier heart and mind. The best part about these breathing techniques is that they don’t require any special equipment and can be done anywhere.
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Krishan Jangir