Breathing exercises are effective ways to relieve stress and anxiety by evoking your relaxation response, according to Dr. Jeanne Segal. In addition to their calming physical effects, meditation teachers have also linked breathing exercises to their calming and focusing effects on the mind. The relaxation response will help you increase your energy, focus and productivity as a result of dissolved stress and anxiety. Breath awareness or mindfulness exercises as well as deep breathing are simple yet effective breathing techniques you can use to relax at will.
History
Ancient Tibetan and Buddhist traditions around the globe have used breathing exercises as the basis of meditation to reduce and remove stress and anxiety. According to these traditions, stress and anxiety are products of your thoughts which, during meditation, you can become aware of and choose alternate thought that relieves your anxiety. Tulku Thondrop, Tibetan Buddhist and author of "The Healing Power of Mind," teaches that problems come because the mind becomes accustomed to perceiving only the negative aspects of circumstances that arise. Thondrup teaches breath awareness as the basic technique to greater self-awareness, which leads to stress reduction.
Significance
Dr. Jeanne Segal maintains that, although stress can not be avoided, breathing exercises are one of the ways you can evoke your "relaxation response." The relaxation response is the polar opposite of the stress response. It is a state of deep rest that rebalances your entire system. Some believe that the mind follows breath, which means that a deeper, more tranquil breath would result in a like state of mind.
Effects
Breathing exercises can soothe your nervous system, resulting in a calmness and sens of tranquility that abates stress. Even in difficult situations, the use of deep breathing or a breath-awareness exercise can be your avenue to a centered, calm feeling that can lead to the clarity and insights you'll need to handle situations more effectively. Deepened breathing, slower heart rate and blood pressure and relaxed muscles are all effects of the relaxation response evoked by the use of breathing exercises.
Expert Insight
Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of "Full Catastrophe Living," founded the first medically based stress-reduction program in the United States that uses meditative breathing exercises as its foundational treatment. Established in 1995, The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School treats stress due to "work, school, family, financial, illness, aging, grief, uncertainty about the future and feeling out of control." Taking a cue from this program, you can incorporate its tenets of meditation and breathing exercises into your life to reduce stress and anxiety.
Types
Breath awareness is the practice of giving your full attention to the full inhale of breath as it comes in and one full exhale as it is released. Practice keeping your mind focused on your breath alone. Deep breathing is also breathing exercises that can evoke your relaxation response. To practice deep breathing, you concentrate on full, cleansing breaths. Although simple, deep breathing is a powerful relaxation technique. When performing breathing exercises, it is important to be sure that you are alert and not tired and set aside appropriate time where you will not be disturbed.
