Breathing Exercises

Breathing Through Anxiety. You can practice this at home or at work

Feelings of anxiety are based around fear. Fear is a very old pattern and often it stops us in our tracks. Our body can sense it before we can, it tenses up and our breathing pattern changes. We can feel it reacting in our body and by remembering that it is simply energy we can take hold of it and alter the feeling rather than it taking hold of us. Here’s a simple exercise to notice the pattern, breathe through it and come out the other side.

Try this….reframe the story and remember it’s just a story. It’s not real.

You can do this anywhere, sitting at your desk or at home.  Remember to sit up straight and relax your shoulders. Feel your feet connecting to the ground. First be aware of the feelings and sensations that you are feeling in your body. Track them and get curious, is it in your belly, is it in your chest or perhaps somewhere else? Notice your breathing pattern, is it rapid, is it shallow, does it feel restricted? Now breathe deeply into the diaphragm, allow the belly and ribcage to expand as you inhale and contract as you exhale.  Place your hands on your lower abdomen and breathe into here.

As you inhale the belly expands like a balloon. Notice the feelings and greet them like an old friend, become the observer rather than entertaining the feelings and feeding them. Connect to your feet on the ground and imagine that they are growing roots into the ground. As you breathe in and out imagine the breath is coming all the way down to your feet. Be aware of the sensations in your body as you breathe in and breathe out. Try not to fight the sensations or push them away just notice them and eventually they will fade away. Breathe through the sensations in your body and as you breathe in and out use affirmations ‘I let go’. Continue to breathe deeply into the belly inhaling and exhaling and stay present with your breath. This will help to ground and centre you bringing you back to the present moment.

Balancing Breath for Centering Self

If right handed, place the thumb of the right hand over the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.  Breathe into the left nostril to the count of 8 and hold the breath to the count of 8. Cover the left nostril with the index finger of the right hand and exhale through the right nostril to a count of 8 and hold the breath for a count of 8.  Cover the right nostril with the thumb and repeat the cycle ten times.

‘Ha Breath’ For Digestion and Joyful Energy

Stand with the feet placed shoulder width apart with knees bent. Place your hands on your lower abdomen and inhale through the mouth expanding the diaphragm.  Exhale quickly through the mouth making the sound, HA. Repeat rapidly for 2 minutes.