Breathing is vital to our existence, we inhale and deliver oxygen to the body and we release carbon dioxide on our exhale. Our breath is happening all day every day and mostly without our awareness.
Bringing attention to your breath is the simplest, easiest way to come into the present. If you wish to become more mindful or more aware in your daily life, simply bring your attention to your own breath.
Our minds are full of thoughts, whizzing around trying to distract us and when we are busy living up inside our minds, we miss life that is happening all around us. When we become so clogged up with thoughts, we are missing out on the happiness that life brings.
All of the meditation masters and gurus talk about ‘the present moment’ or coming into the ‘now’. What does this really mean? It means consciously making the choice to calm your mind for a while, connecting your body and your mind and the easiest way to do this is to breathe. Breathe with awareness.
When you start to notice your breath, you may notice that you are taking short shallow breaths into the top of your chest. This is a tense, slightly anxious breath. Try to take a full deep breath in through your nose, fill your lungs up and exhale out through your mouth and feel a big release. Try this a few more times and you feel more relaxed instantly. Breathing slowly and deeply can calm your mind and make your body feel more relaxed in just a few moments. You will probably notice your posture change slightly too.
Our minds, bodies and breath are all connected and when we bring our awareness to that, you will start to feel a lot more relaxed and focused. Here are some breathing techniques that you can try out and practice. The more you practice, the easier it becomes and the stronger the benefits.
7-2-11 Relaxing breath
This is a beautiful calming breath for those stressful moments in your day. The 7-2-11 might sound like a grocery shop but this is actually the timing of your breath. On the inhale, we inhale quietly through the nose for the count of 7, retaining or holding the breath for the count of 2 and the releasing on the exhale to the count of 11 with a slow ‘whooooosh’ sound out of the mouth. This exercise is like a natural sleeping tablet, it will completely relax the nervous system. It might take a couple of times to figure out the timing but the more you practice, the more power you will gain. Practice it every day for 4-8 rounds. This breathing technique can be your go to calming device whenever you need it. It is a powerful effective tool to have, and more useful than your favourite app on your phone! Practice this breathing technique daily and feel the benefits.
Belly breathing
Breathing into your belly is so comforting, it can take a while to get used to but once you get it you will see how soothing it is. It is particularly good for when you are feeling a little tense or anxious. Lie down if you can or if you are at work or in your car, just sit comfortable with relaxed hands. Breathe deeply from your abdomen, getting as much air as you can into your lungs. As you inhale, your belly should rise and as you exhale your belly should fall. If you find it difficult to manage, place a book on top of your belly, as you inhale you should be pushing it up with your belly and as you exhale it will come back down. Taking deep breaths from the belly, rather than short breaths from your upper chest will allow you to inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you take in, the deeper your breath and the more relaxed you will feel.
Left Nostril Breath
The easiest breathing technique to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the part that tells your body to relax) is to inhale and exhale through the left nostril. This will create a calming and soothing effect for the whole body. Simply close the right nostril off with the right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the left. Try to practice as slowly as possible with your eyes closed. Continue for as long as you can. Stay focused on your breath.
Brahmari – Humming bee breath
Brahmari is the Sanskrit word for ‘bee’ and this is similar to the sound created when we practice this breath. It is totally calming and will help to cure sleeplessness. It is great for anyone suffering from anxiety, it will create focus from distracting thoughts. In India, it is recommended for women in labour. You may feel a bit odd doing this one, but after you get over that you will feel the soothing benefits. Take a long inhalation through the nose and on the exhalation create a humming sound from the throat. The inhalation and exhalation should be steady and slow. On the inhale, close your eyes and breathe through the nose, on the exhale close off the ears with the index fingers, keeping the eyes closed and make a humming sound with the voice. It will completely soothe the mind and the nervous system. It becomes easier as your practice.
When you find a breathing technique that works for you, you can bring it with you everywhere and practice it as often as you like. The breath is a powerful tool that we can use freely everywhere. We can spend so much time, energy and money on trying to solve issues that can be solved with our own breath.
Our breathing is influenced by our thoughts, and our thoughts and bodies can be influenced by our breath. Learning to breathe with awareness can create more balance in the body and then that transfers into our lives. Anxiety and stress levels will decrease, energy levels will increase, your sleep will improve and you will start to appreciate life more. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a cent.