Most adults initiate respiration incorrectly, working upper-body muscles with each breath. Concentrate on breathing from your diaphragm, the muscular partition that separates your chest cavity from your abdominal cavity. Healthfully train your body to relax by practicing diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Start with basic deep breathing exercises -- practice slow breaths and gently prolong each exhalation. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Inhalation
Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath to free your mind of anything that is bothering you. Lie on your back and place your hands on your lower ribs so that your middle fingertips meet a couple of inches below your sternum. Slowly inhale while tightening your abdominal muscles as you breathe in. As you breathe from your diaphragm, your lower ribs will move up and apart, causing your fingertips to separate. Pause for a second or two.
Exhalation
Slowly exhale -- imagine any stress or tension you are feeling dissipate as you breathe out. Feel your ribs and middle fingertips return to their starting positions and try to exhale slightly more air by consciously allowing your bottom ribs to move down and in a little more. Without forcing it, fully relax your abdomen.
Seated Exercises
Sit on the edge of a comfortable chair and place your hand over your lower abdomen. Rest your other hand on your knee. Close your eyes and slowly take a deep breath from your abdomen, tighten your abdominal muscles and push the hand resting atop as far out as you can. Hold your breath for a second or two, then gently release your breath and reverse the process. Feel your hand and stomach move back in to starting position.
Tips
Make yourself comfortable, remain calm and never force your breath. Perform breathing exercises to help deal with stress and to reduce tension, anxiety or anger. If you become agitated or fatigued while performing exercises, return to practice breathing exercises at a later time. Increase the amount of time you breathe out as your respiration improves.
References
- "Clinical Reference Systems"; Stress Management: Deep Breathing; Phyllis G. Cooper; February 2010
- "Townsend Letter"; Oxygen Homeostasis: Limbic Breathing; Majid Ali; July 2007
- "Yoga Journal"; Your Best Breath; Roger Cole; 2008
