Stress Relieving Breathing

Are you aware that 75% of adults can only breath as deep as their shoulders. While 25% of adults can breath deeply into their belly and abdomen experiencing the benefits of deep breathing - a relaxed nervous system leading to a more relaxed state (physically and mentally), more oxygen into the body leading to less toxins in the body, and better circulation just to name a few benefits. Deep breathing for beginners.... the 75% of us.

Pranayama - Yogic Breath Find a quiet location and lie on the floor. Make sure you are comfortable, add a blanket on top of you if need be. Close your eyes and notice the air moving in and out of your nose. Does that air go in further then your nose? Maybe into your throat? Breath in and out 10-20 times. Now place one hand on your chest and another on your abdomen. Continue breathing and notice if either hand moves up and down as you inhale and exhale. Start to visualize the air moving in through your nose, down your throat, filling your lungs (allowing your rib cage to expand), then into your abdomen (allowing your belly to rise and fall).

If you are struggling with drawing the air deep into you abdomen try this vision. You are lying on the beach with your head closest to the water and your feet furthest away. As that wave comes into the the beach there is air in front of that wave that will enter into your nose, travel down your throat, fill your lungs and continue to your abdomen. Then the wave stops coming into shore and starts to return to the sea. The air would start to leave your abdomen then your lungs up through your throat and out through your nose. Continue this visualization for 15 - 20 more breath cycles and notice now how your hands may start to rise and fall with your inhale and exhale with every wave that enters your body.

Enjoy the benefits of deep belly breathing!