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Relaxation
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Sounds silly? Well, you should really give it a try. Some say that the key to relaxation lies in your breathing. You should aim at breathing slowly and deeply. As those who practice yoga will attest, learning to breathe properly can take years of practice. I personally had to learn to breathe when I decided to play the trumpet.
Breathe Through Your Nose
Your nose contains natural filters that take away impurities in the air. It also contains a mucous membrane that climatizes the air by warming it and adding moisture to it.
Let the Air Fill in All Your Alveoli
Diaphragm
Your diaphragm is a muscle located below your lungs and it separates your chest cavity from your abdomen. When you inhale, your diaphragm stretches out to allow room for the air to fill your lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm curves upward to help push the air out.
Chest or Diaphragm Breathing?
If you're curious about your current breathing habits, here's a quick test you can take that will immediately tell you what kind of breather you are. You need to stand in front of a mirror to be able to check your shoulder movement as you breathe.
- Find the lower end of your sternum and place both your index fingers about 2 cm (1 inch) from the end of your sternum. Your index fingers should be lightly pressed against your chest and the tips in line with each other and barely touching. Inhale normally. Exhale normally. Look at your shoulders as your breathe. Did they move up and down? Did your fingers come apart?
If your fingers stayed in contact and your shoulders moved, it's a clear sign that you are not breathing deep enough to maximize the benefits of breathing. You should work on some relaxation breathing techniques.
Now leave your fingers there and breathe as deeply as you can while mentally thinking about your diaphragm. Notice if your chest pushes the fingers further away. Ideally, your shoulders should not be involved when you breathe.
How Can You Improve Your Relaxation Breathing Techniques?
Practice, practice and practice some more. How? Well, here's how:
Technique #1
Click here to get graphics on this first breathing technique.
Stand with your feet shoulder apart and your arms hanging loosely on your sides. Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale while counting to four. The speed doesn't matter here, but keep in mind that the long-term goal will be to take more and more time to inhale and exhale. Exhale, counting to four again. Inhale, and exhale. On your next inhale, bring your arms up so that by the time you reach "4", your hands will be above your head. Exhale and gradually bring your arms back down to your sides by the time you reach "4".
The movement of your arms will help promote a diaphragm movement while you breathe. Keep working on it. When you feel comfortable, add a 1-2 pause when your lungs are full and when they are empty.
If at any time you fell dizzy, you should stop and sit down.
Technique #2
The second of these relaxation breathing techniques can be done while you are about to sleep. Lie down on your back with one hand on your chest. Start by breathing normally (likely your chest breathing). Feel the motion of your chest. With every breath, try to increase the quantity of air that you allow in and feel the difference in chest expansion. Mentally count from 1 to 4 as you inhale and from 1 to 4 as you exhale. Try to slow down your count until you reach the limits of comfortable breathing. This limit will be pushed with practice as you develop deeper and deeper breathing.
Once you reach a comfortable timing, try to add a 1-2 pause at the peak of your breath. Keep your lungs fully filled for 2 seconds, breathe out 1-4, then pause again for 2 seconds with your lungs empty before counting 1-4 as you inhale. This will require some practice, but don't give up.
I will post more relaxation breathing techniques shortly. Discover other
relaxation breathing techniques you can learn in the comfort of your home.
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