The holidays are supposed to be fun and festive, but for many of us they induce stress and anxiety. Luckily just breathing can actually help to ease anxiety. Yoga (one of my favorite go-to stress reducers!) uses breathing techniques to calm anxiety, and I love finding ways to use yoga off the mat. Check out these 8 breathing techniques to ease anxiety from Delicious Living (read the full article here). Give them a try the next time you feel the holiday stress coming on!
Deep Breathing
Taking calm, deep breaths can be soothing. The simplest method of deep breathing is to slowly breathe in through your nose for about 5 to 6 seconds, hold for a few seconds, and breathe out slowly through your mouth close to 7 seconds. Breathe out like your whistling. Repeat 10 times.
Co2 Rebreathing
When you hyperventilate, you may feel like you’re not getting enough oxygen, but you’re actually getting too much oxygen and your carbon dioxide levels are low. Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe slowly. You can also try using a small paper bag. This may help balance the level of Co2.
Advanced Deep Breathing
This technique comes courtesy of calmclinic.com. Find a comfortable place and expect a considerable amount of time – between 15 and 20 minutes. Sit like you would for deep breathing: back straight, but try to be comfortable. You will be monitoring your heartbeat to keep a good rhythm. Inhale, counting 5 heartbeats. Hold your breath at the top of your inhale, counting 7 heartbeats. Then exhale, counting 9 heartbeats. Repeat at least 10 total breath cycles.
Simple Meditation Breathing
If you’ve ever taken one of my yoga classes, you know I love a good extended exhale! Psychology Today recommends this as being one of the most effective anxiety relief techniques. The only thing you have to do is breathe out slowly. The key is to focus on your out-breath and ignore your in-breath. Your in-breath will naturally lengthen when your out-breath is longer, so there’s no need to focus on the in-breath. Your breath out should be slow, steady and gentle. It may be helpful to imagine you’re blowing up a balloon, slowly and steadily with the absolute least amount of force. Breath out until the last bit of breath is released.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
In yoga, this method is used to quiet and calm the nervous system. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about hip-distance apart. Place a palm on your abdomen and breathe comfortably for a few moments, paying attention to the quality of your breath: Does it feel tense or strained? Uneven? Shallow? Gradually begin to make your breathing as relaxed and smooth as possible with a slight pause after each in-breath and out-breath. Once your breathing feels relaxed and comfortable, you’ll notice that as you inhale, the abdomen naturally expands. As you exhale, the abdomen contracts. Continue to support the natural movement of the diaphragm for 6 to 12 breaths.
The Cooling Breath
The Cooling Breath is a technique used in yoga, and the proper term for it is Sitali Pranayama. This is the act of drawing the air across the tongue and into the mouth to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system. Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor with your shoulders relaxed and spine naturally erect. Lower the chin, curl the tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth to a comfortable distance. Inhale gently through the straw formed by your curled tongue while lifting your chin toward the ceiling, lifting only as far as you are comfortable. At the end of inhalation, with your chin raised, retract the tongue and close the mouth. Exhale slowly through the nostrils as you lower your chin to a neutral position. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
Sitkari Pranayama
This technique is for those who cannot curl their tongue, which is needed for Sitali Pranayama. Open the mouth slightly with your tongue just behind your teeth. Inhale slowly through the space between the upper and lower teeth, allowing the air to wash over your tongue as you raise your chin toward the ceiling. At the end of the inhalation, close your mouth and exhale through your nostrils as you slowly lower your chin back to neutral. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
The Long Exhale
This 1:2 breathing practice is especially helpful if anxiety is causing sleep problems. Try this before bedtime or in the night if you’re having insomnia. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place a palm on your abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling the abdomen expand on the inhalation and contract on the exhalation. Mentally count the length of each inhalation and exhalation for several breaths. Make the breaths equal length, gradually increasing the length of exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds by gently contracting the abdomen. As your breathing becomes smoother and more relaxed, continue to gradually increase the exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds once every few breaths. Make sure you experience no strain as the exhalation increases and keep going until your exhalation is up to twice the length of the inhalation, but not beyond. For example, if your inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds.
My autism journey has changed the way I live and care for my family. I am passionate about nontoxic products, natural remedies, grain-free nutrition, essential oils, and healing the symptoms known as autism. This is a space for anyone aspiring toward cleaner, healthier living.
XO Joanna
