Relieving stress through relaxation techniques can improve your quality of life, according to the Mayo Clinic. Deep breathing exercises slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and can reduce physical and mental tension, anger, frustration and chronic pain. Although breathing comes naturally, deliberate, deep breathing takes some practice. Always try to keep your torso straight when performing deep breathing exercises to facilitate air movement in and out of your body.
Breath Focus
According to Harvard Women's Health Watch, deep breathing starts with breath focus. In a quiet, comfortable place, sit straight but relaxed or lie down. Breathe normally, paying close attention to how each breath feels. Then, take a slow, deep breath in through your nose and notice how the air coming in seems to go all the way to your abdomen. Breathe out through your mouth. Do this several times, and return to normal breathing, then back to deep breathing. As you concentrate on the way you breathe and how each breath feels, place your palm on your abdomen -- peace and calm entering your body with each inhalation, and anxiety being expelled with each exhalation.
Breath focus can be done standing up. As you breathe in, concentrate as the air fills first the lower lungs, then middle and upper part of your lungs. Hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale deeply through your mouth, relaxing both abdomen and chest.
Three-Part Breathing
This yoga exercise helps relieve anxiety and stress and can help alleviate insomnia. Sit comfortably, eyes closed. Exhale deeply through your nose. Start at the top of your chest, as if pouring breath from a jar, and let the exhalation move down through your body into your diaphragm. Hold for two counts, then inhale through your nose, refilling the jar slowly, through a count of five. Fill your body with air from the bottom, in your belly and diaphragm, then up through your lungs. Hold the inhalation for two counts. Repeat five to 10 times.
Four-Seven-Eight Breath
This holistic exercise can be done standing or lying down, but is most effective while sitting. You can do this exercise almost anywhere.
While sitting and keeping the back straight, let your hands rest in your lap. Look straight ahead, but try not to stare at any one thing. Focus on your breathing as you breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth while touching the tip of your tongue to the top of your mouth just behind your teeth.
For four seconds, inhale smoothly and deeply, pushing out the abdomen to fill the lower lungs, then the middle and upper lungs. Hold for seven seconds. Exhale slowly and smoothly for eight seconds.
Rest a moment without inhaling, then begin again. Do 10 to 12 times and build up to 25 to 30 times, several times per day. If anxiety levels rise, take time out for this exercise.
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