Breathe a sign of relief
Two breathing exercises for stress management
Breathing and anxiety have always been linked for me. I would have frequent panic attacks causing me to hyperventilate. I would have short breaths, fast breaths, and sometimes no breaths at all. Anxiety sitting on my chest somehow felt too heavy to be physically able to breath. At one point, my therapist asked me to schedule “reminders” in my phone to check my breathing, to make sure I was breathing.
I knew I could measure my anxiety by observing my breath. But, only once I started practicing yoga, I discovered I could use my breath to reduce my anxiety. Especially in the stressful, trigger moments. And by learning a few breathing techniques, I could be a bit more in control. And best part, I could do the techniques anywhere and for any amount of time.
So let’s practice!
Exercise Preparation
For each of the below exercises, you should be sitting in a comfortable position with a straight, but relaxed back. You can have your eyes closed or open with a soft gaze. Although its best to find a quiet spot, these techniques are also effective sitting at your desk in the office.
Extended Exhale
When we are stressed, our inhale naturally becomes longer. This is our bodies’ attempt to prepare itself for physical stress a.k.a. a lion running toward our cave. Our heart rate increases, our muscles tense, and our breathing quickens. Our modern day stress looks very different than our ancient ancestors’. Our body doesn’t have to prepare to run or fight. Thankfully, we can override our bodies’ preprogrammed reaction to stress.
For the extended exhale, it is just as it sounds. Your exhale is longer than your inhale. I recommend starting with a ratio of 1 second breathing in to 2 seconds breathing out. For example, I breath in through my nose for 4 seconds and breath out through my nose for 8 seconds. You could start with 3 seconds and 6 seconds. Or 2 and 4. As you practice this technique more, you will be able to increase the ratio and extend the length of your breath.
When I first started to practice extended exhale, I felt uncomfortable and slightly anxious. I felt like I didn’t have enough air and for a split second doubted if I would be able to breath again. This might reveal a scarcity mindset. For me, it was very powerful to push through this feeling. Now when I fully empty my lungs, I am ready for the euphoric rush of fresh oxygen. I know it is coming.
Triangle Breath
Triangle breathing is also a simple technique to learn. The ratio for this breathing is 1:1:1. So for example, breath through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4, and then breath out of your nose for a count of 4. Do this for a total of 15 rounds (or more) for a total of 4 minutes.
Like with extended exhale, I initially felt some angst when holding my breath and then breathing out slowly. If you feel the same, try the technique that helped me. When I am inhaling I feel light and full. I visualise myself flying high off a cliff over water. When I hold my breath, I hold still and look around at the sea below. I am suspended in air. And then when I start to breath out, I can feel some heaviness sink in. This is where I felt most anxious before, but now, I imagine myself as a rock. I find comfort in the image. This is just how a rock feels. I will soon soar again.
And so will you.
