Breathing is the first thing we do when we are born and the last thing we do before we pass on. In between, we are usually unaware of each breath we take. Each minute, the average person breathes 12 times, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. The autonomic nervous system controls this process, though you can also exercise voluntary control. Practicing voluntary breath control provides a number of advantages --- singers gain voice control, for instance; yoga practitioners relax and expectant mothers manage pain and stress.
Step 1
Slow down your number of breaths per minute. To slow breathing, MedlinePlus, the online database of the National Institutes of Health, recommends seeking reassurance from a loved one, breathing through pursed lips, or breathing through one nostril while closing your mouth and the other nostril. In the absence of a medical condition, hyperventilation is rapid breathing in response to stress or fear. Hyperventilation can cause dizziness, confusion, tingling in the arms and shortness of breath.
Step 2
Use your diaphragm to inhale. Place your right hand on your chest and the left hand on your abdomen near the belt line. Take a slow, deep breath --- only the left hand should rise. If only the right hand rises, this indicates an undesirable shallow breath. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing" suggests imagining a water balloon filling from the bottom up as the lungs expand from the abdomen upward.
Step 3
Expand the back muscles when inhaling. Place each hand on your waist with thumbs wrapping around to the back. Inhale and feel the hands push apart as the back muscles expand. Inexperienced singers often overlook the role of the back muscles in breathing, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing" explains.
Step 4
Control the exhaled breath. Rather than letting the breath exit the lungs in a rush, control the exhalation by making a snake-like "sssss" sound. Mentally count how many seconds you can maintain this hissing, and, with practice, extend the number of seconds. "Yoga Journal" magazine explains that when your are deeply relaxed, the exhalation will last twice as long as the inhalation.
Step 5
Practice patterned breathing. The American Pregnancy Association refers to this as "hee-hee-who" breathing. Begin with a deep sigh, relaxing from head to toe on the exhale. Breathe through the mouth quickly, lightly and shallowly --- this is the "hee-hee" part of the pattern. After every second breath, blow out a longer breath --- the "who" part of the pattern. Repeat for several minutes until calm returns. Expectant mothers use this technique to manage pain; the technique is also useful for controlling the stress response.
