It’s well-known that proper breathing is a fundamental key to relaxation. In our stressful lives full of deadlines, worries, and caffeine we often tend to breathe in a very shallow way… short quick breaths from our chests. This tends to increase anxiety and in extreme cases trigger hyperventilation and panic attacks.
A little deep breathing done several times throughout the day, especially in moments of high stress, can work wonders. Not only does it have a soothing effect on our nervous and physiological systems, but it helps us to calmly focus on what we need to get done.
The problem with breathing techniques is that every meditation teacher, self-help “guru”, or Yogic master preaches the “one” true method of breathing for stress relief. But just like everything else in life, the type of breathing exercise that works for others may not be the right one for you.
For example, when I used to try deep breathing I would focus on the inhale, which many experts say to do. But somehow, that caused me to panic even more. I don’t know why.
But when I made the exhale my primary focus, I was able to achieve much better relaxation and longer deeper breaths. All with just a change of focus.
So just remember to experiment to discover what works for you.
In this blog, I’m going to bring you several types of breathing techniques to practice. Today we’re going to go over the most basic one…
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Everybody always makes a big deal about from where you breathe… your chest or your abdomen. For years, people told me, “You’re breathing from your chest. Try instead to breathe from your diaphragm.”
This always confused me. “That silly,” I always replied. “We breathe through our lungs. What is all this crap about breathing from our stomach or chest?”
But when I began to think about my diaphragm and notice when it expands upon inhale, I finally understood what everyone was talking about.
It takes a little practice. (For me, it took a lot of practice.)
(Oh, and it’s time for my disclaimer: Make sure you’re healthy. I gotta say it… consult with your doctor before trying new stuff. I’m not a doctor nor medical professional, nor should anything I say ever be construed as medical advice. These are just practical methods I’ve collected over the years. Okay, that’s out of the way…. whew.)
So, here are the steps to diaphragmatic breathing:
1. Get somewhere comfortable.
This is important. You want to be alone and relaxed. Nobody around to judge you or to even ask, “What are you doing?”
2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other one on your stomach.
Here is where you’re going to learn the difference between breathing from your chest and from your diaphragm.
Now take a deep breath and hold it. While inhaling, notice how your stomach rises up. If it doesn’t, then exhale and start over. Think about your stomach and belly as you take your next deep breath.
3. Exhale SLOWLY while counting to five. Your stomach should go back down.
Repeat this exercise until you feel a sense of calm and relaxation flowing around you. Your heart rate should slow a bit. Your blood pressure should drop.
One thing that I found surprising was how long I could hold my breath when I started to get good at this. When I began, I could only hold it for a second or two. Now I can hold it comfortably for up to a minute. (This takes time and practice. If you’re not used to diaphragmatic breathing, don’t try this right away. You could hurt yourself.)
My ideal relaxing pattern is:
- Inhale for 3 seconds.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
- Exhale for 10 seconds.
Some people say to exhale twice as long as you inhale. So, if I were to follow this instruction in my example I would exhale for 20 seconds. I find that’s too much and I begin to hyperventilate… which is not relaxing at all.
Your mileage may vary. Only you can determine what works for you with trial and error.
The key is practice. Try to get up to a regular pace of doing this ten times in a row. Then do that three times a day.
Once you’ve practiced it in a safe and comfortable atmosphere, you’ll be ready to use it anywhere… on the bus, subway, airplane, or at your desk.
If you’re the type of person who likes audio instruction (like me), here’s a guided diaphragmatic breathing tutorial courtesy of the Student Wellness Center at McMaster University:
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Now go relax.
Click here to watch a short video about the ROOT CAUSE of all anxiety.
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