Breathing is essential to life, but thoughtful and controlled breathing can offer benefits that go beyond basic respiration. According to the American Medical Student Association, controlled breathing exercises can affect stress levels, blood pressure, digestion, circulation, heart rate and other involuntary health factors. No special training or equipment are required to perform these exercises; they simply require a few minutes time and a little concentration.
Stimulating Breath
The stimulating breath exercise, also known as the bellows breath, is inspired by a classic yoga breathing technique, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. Before beginning this exercise, you should find a quiet and relaxing place where you can easily focus. Sit on the floor or on a cushion, with your legs crossed in front of you and your spine straight and elongated. Beginners should attempt this exercise in cycles of no more than 15 seconds, but with practice, you can perform stimulating breath in one-minute cycles. Breathe in and out in rapid succession, only through your nose. Try to make every inhalation and exhalation equal in length, and see if you can inhale and exhale three times each in every second. Proper execution will create temporary tension in your neck, chest, abdomen and diaphragm, and will stimulate the senses similarly to a vigorous exercise.
Abdominal Breathing
In "Free Your Breath, Free Your Life: How Conscious Breathing Can Relieve Stress, Increase Vitality, and Help You Live More Fully," Dennis Lewis describes a simple exercise called abdominal breathing that may help relieve stress, heighten alertness, and soothe away feelings of malaise. To perform this exercise, lie flat on your back on a comfortable surface in a quiet environment. Place one palm flat on your chest, and the other flat on your belly, and breathe normally at first. Then inhale deeply through your nose, slowly counting to seven, and hold your breath for a brief moment at the end. Follow this inhalation by exhaling deeply through relaxed lips as you slowly count to eight, then repeat the entire cycle four more times. As you breathe, make sure the hand on your abdomen is higher than the one on the belly when inhaling, and lower than the other when exhaling to ensure proper deep breathing.
Pursed Lip Breathing
Pursed lip breathing, according to Lisa Kennedy Sheldon's book "Oxygenation," is a therapeutic controlled-breathing exercise particularly beneficial to those suffering from chronic airway limitation or dyspnea, another condition that causes labored breathing. By performing this exercise four or five times daily for 10 minutes each time, you can strengthen the respiratory system through sustained, increased pressure on the bronchioles and help prevent the habit of holding your breath during periods of intense activity. To engage in this exercise, sit up straight and purse your lips as if to whistle. Inhale deeply but comfortably through the nose while slowly counting to two, then exhale slowly through your pursed lips while slowly counting to four. If it takes longer than a four-count to fully exhale, continue exhaling until you are out of breath or begin to feel uncomfortable. Breath counts for this exercise can be extended, but it is important to exhale at least twice as long as each inhalation.
References
- "Free Your Breath, Free Your Life: How Conscious Breathing Can Relieve Stress, Increase Vitality, and Help You Live More Fully"; Dennis Lewis; 2004
- American Medical Student Association: Breathing Exercises
- "Oxygenation"; Lisa Kennedy Sheldon; 2008
- Andrew Weil, M.D.: Breathing — Three Exercises
- "The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook"; Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Matthew McKay; 2008
