Our lifestyles dictate what level of stress we have. Some people are able to cope well with stress, while other people are not so lucky. They tend to pent up their emotions to a point where something in the body breaks. It can be a nervous breakdown or in the form of anxiety attacks. It can also be fatal in some by bringing on heart attacks. One antidote to stress is relaxation breathing exercises.
When practiced on a regular basis, this technique can lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and might even boost your feelings of serenity and joy. By mastering a breathing exercise, it will serve as a protective shield when it is time to stay calm when life decides to pitch its curveballs at you.
What the technique teaches us is that you need to have deep cleansing breaths, which, in turn will deliver more oxygen to the brain and to the entire body. We tend to breathe too shallow and do not take in enough of the earth's most abundant element - oxygen. A breathing technique can be easily learned, it can be practiced almost anywhere and is a quick way to release tension which is a catalyst for many other illnesses. You are welcome to combine a breathing technique with other relaxing practices like for instance music or aromatherapy.
But how do we actually practice the technique?
The abdomen is the key. You need to learn to breathe from that area which is going to assist you to take in as much air as possible. What it essentially means is that you are able to get more oxygen from breathing from the abdomen rather than shallow breaths aided by the upper chest. It is quite simple: the more oxygen you get the less anxious you will get. Try it; you have nothing to loose but a lot to gain.
When you do this exercise, you need to be seated comfortably with your back straight. Place one hand over your chest area and the other hand over your stomach. With your mouth closed, start breathing with your nose. If you look down, you will notice that your hand on your stomach will rise while the hand on your chest will only move slightly.
Exhale through your mouth and not your nose pushing out as much air as you can. This technique will force you to breathe harder and deeper in order to get more oxygen. Now you will notice that the hand on your stomach will move inward as you breathe out.
Try your relaxation breathing exercises whenever you feel anxious. Having enough oxygen in your body will do wonders for your well-being and curb those stress levels.
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