If you suffer from lightheadedness, dizziness, or simply feel "lost in space" from time to time, you might benefit from deep breathing. Learning to undo shallow breathing habits and relax fully throughout your abdomen can go a long way toward helping you feel more grounded. Be aware, however, that lightheadedness can indicate a serious medical condition. Deep breathing is not a substitute for conventional medical care.
Features
The key to deep breathing is to remember how to use your belly, advises Allison Post, bodywork therapist and co-author of "Unwinding the Belly: Healing with Gentle Touch." At birth, you probably started out breathing fully and completely into your abdomen, notes Post, who now practices privately in Larkspur, California. When stress arises, however, the tendency is to limit breathing to the chest. Shallow breathing can lead to panic, a sense of disconnection, and lightheadedness. Over time, stress and shallow breathing reinforce each other, so you lose the habit of deep breathing altogether.
Types
Deep breathing is at the core of ancient energy practices and modern alternative health movements alike. Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, combines tapping key pressure points on the body with full, controlled breathing to clear emotional blocks and settle you back into your body. Yoga and the ancient Chinese art of qigong combine whole body movement and breath work. Transformational Breathing, a technique developed by Dr. Judith Kravitz, seeks to unite the conscious and unconscious mind for self-healing, according to the website of the Transformational Breath Foundation.
Perspectives
Lightheadedness can indicate that you're suffering from low levels of qi, or vital life energy, according to traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, notes Dr. Patricia Tsang, integrative medicine expert and author of "Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine." Qi deficiency arises through overexertion, poor diet and stress --- or any time you are not giving yourself enough fuel or rest to support your activity level. Deep breathing can help your body relax enough to begin to recharge its supply of qi.
Method
Any time you feel lightheaded, practice a simple belly breathing technique for 5 to 20 minutes, advises James Chow, M.D., founder of integrative medicine clinics in New York, Westchester, San Diego, Chicago and Atlanta, and co-author of "Hypoglycemia for Dummies." Lie down on your back, bending your knees comfortably. Take note of any tension in your body and release it. Place one hand on your stomach. Rest the other hand on your chest. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Allow the inhalation to push out the hand on your abdomen, while moving the hand on your chest only slightly. This technique will ensure that you're breathing into your abdomen. As you exhale, the hand on your belly should naturally fall. Repeat.
Caution
When you first try deep breathing, it's possible to feel even more lightheaded. Ensure that you are not forcing your breath, breathing with tension or breathing too quickly. Deep breathing practice is your time to slow down and focus on yourself. Relax as much as possible to make deep breathing a pleasant experience.
