Breathing Methods, 4 Effective Against Stress

Although it may seem a bit complicated at first, with practice, we will be able to control the rhythm of breathing and it will be a quick and easy way to relieve stress.

Did you know that when we are in stressful situations we breathe in an accelerated and uneven way? In this article we will tell you about breathing methods and their importance.

Both stress and anxiety are survival mechanisms that aim to “invite” us to escape away from a situation that our brain interprets as harmful or dangerous.

It should also be remembered that the nervous and sympathetic systems react to these emotions very intensely.

The heart accelerates, the pulsations increase and we begin to breathe in a not very harmonious way, which increases the risk of suffering from heart attacks, angina pectoris, cerebrovascular accidents, etc.

We cannot forget that bad breathing does not allow the organs to receive the oxygen levels they need and, therefore, conditions arise that can cause serious consequences.

We need to slow down, slow down, manage our emotions better and, in addition, learn to breathe correctly.

Even if it is difficult for you to believe it, to breathe well means to live well.

We show you 4 techniques that can help you.

Effective breathing methods

1. “Square” breathing

The square breathing, also known as “s amavriti pranayama” is the simplest of all .

We can do it in bed about 20 minutes before going to sleep: it will help us relax and get a deep and regenerating rest.

Below we explain how to do it.

Square breathing methods

Sit on the bed with your back straight and your legs crossed
Breathe deeply for about 3 minutes trying to relax
Now inhale for 3 seconds, hold the air for another 3 seconds and finally exhale again for 3 seconds
Rest
Then repeat the same series, but this time increasing the time to 4 seconds (inhale, hold, exhale)
You can repeat this same cycle up to 7 or 8 seconds. Everything will depend on your experience and your personal characteristics

2. Abdominal breathing

If we think about it, what we did during the square breathing is inflate the chest.

With abdominal breathing the goal is another: to concentrate our breathing in the diaphragm, a very effective technique for treating stress, contained tension and anxiety.

Steps to perform abdominal breathing

Lie down on a bed, mat or comfortable rug
Bring one hand to your chest and another to your belly
Breathe deeply through your nose for about 3 seconds
Notice the belly that swells and extends into the upper chest area
Now exhale, little by little, for about 4 seconds

The ideal would be to make 10 very slow breaths focusing first of all on the “magic” area of the diaphragm.

3. Alternative nasal breathing

Alternative nasal breathing can seem a bit strange to us if we have never practiced it. For this reason, the ideal would be to do it a little every day to notice the progressive benefits.

When we finally get used to it we will notice two things:

First, it will help us channel and release stress
Secondly, it will allow us to focus and focus attention on the here and now

Steps to perform alternative nasal breathing

Sit comfortably, but with a straight back
Relax for a few minutes
Now bring the right thumb towards the nose to plug the right nostril
Breathe deeply through the left nostril. Quite simply
When you have reached maximum inhalation and cannot breathe in any more air, close the left nostril with the right ring finger.

Now exhale through the other nostril
Then we repeat the procedure by inverting the nostrils, that is, taking air through the right one and exhaling through the left one

It may seem complicated at first because you will have to be careful to plug one nostril and open the other. However, as we get used to it, the exercise will be rhythmic and very relaxing.

4. New breathing methods: “Coherent” breathing

Consistent breathing responds to other stress- channeling techniques that require some practice and patience. You can try it in accordance with your personal skills and characteristics.

You will see that as soon as you can control it, the whole body will benefit from it.

Consistent breathing consists of breathing five times for every minute
In this way we will optimize the heart rhythm and relax the nervous system. This is an amazing way to channel tensions that will be of great help to you

How to achieve consistent breathing

Sit with your back straight
Put a clock in front of you
The goal is to inhale and exhale 5 times in just one minute
We recommend that you test your breathing control skills first
If you can’t get this breath back in a minute, start with 6 or 7 breaths

In any case, the ideal would be to be able to perform the 5 breaths within 60 seconds. When you do, you will feel better.