Breathing practices to calm the nervous system. How to Breathe Correctly to Calm Down and Sleep Better

In addition, an important feature of this breathing exercise is its beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. As well as, in which it does not take the last place correct breathing, to get the maximum result, it is advisable to practice it daily, and better - 2 times a day.

The uniqueness of the Strelnikova respiratory gymnastics system consists in the training of an accelerated inhalation, which uses the diaphragm. This allows you to increase lung capacity, blood oxygen levels and stimulate important areas located on the nasal mucosa.

To feel the effect of healing and calming the nervous system from this breathing exercises, do basic exercises... Execution mechanism:

  • inhalation - sharp, short, active, through the nose;
  • do the movement while inhaling;
  • exhalation - passive, barely audible, through the mouth;
  • do 12 sets of 8 reps.
  1. Palms - warm-up exercise... Stand up straight with your elbows bent and your palms open from you. Inhale and clench your fists. Exhaling, open your palms again. This breathing exercises can be performed at any age, as well as sitting or lying down for recovery cardiovascular systems NS.
  2. Epaulets. Standing straight, clench your fists and place them at waist level. Inhaling, straighten your arms down, as if doing push-ups. As you inhale, return to starting position.
  3. Pump. In this exercise of breathing exercises according to the Strelnikova system, you need to bow straight from the position with a round back, but without touching the floor with your hands. End the bow with an inhalation. Exhale slightly as you exhale. Then, bow and inhale again.

3 emergency relaxation breathing complexes - effect in 10 minutes

Already become famous, breathing exercises according to the system of Alexandra Strelnikova, is effective, but requires systematic training for 1-2 hours a day. What should those who live according to the laws of the current time do and are in a hurry to do everything? Express techniques of breathing exercises will help to improve the work of the cardiovascular system, relieve stress and focus.

  1. Alternative nostril breathing method.

It will help harmonize the work of the cerebral hemispheres, find peace of mind and balance.

Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Thumb close your left nostril with your left hand and inhale. Exhale, closing the right nostril with your ring finger through the left. Do the opposite. Take multiple sets. It is not recommended to use this technique before bed.

  1. Increasing relaxation technique.

This breathing exercise is great for calming the nervous system and relaxing.

Get into a comfortable position and breathe deeply and slowly. With your mind's eye, walk your body from your toes and shins to your neck and head. Lingering on each part of the body for 2-3 inhalation-exhalation, relax it and imagine that you are breathing through it.

  1. Equal breathing technique.

Helps you focus, increase alertness and calmness.

Sitting with your back straight, inhale and exhale through your nose in 4 counts. Practice for 5-10 minutes. Once trained, do the exercise for 6 or 8 counts.

Nowadays, a large number of people complain of sleep disturbances, poor memory and bad moods. Doctors explain this by constant stress, a syndrome chronic fatigue and asthenia. To get rid of ailments, people take sleeping pills and stimulants, drink excessive amounts of alcohol and smoke a lot. However, few people know that if you practice breathing exercises, the nervous system will calm down, stress will recede, and memory and sleep will improve.

The respiratory center is in close connection with the parts of the brain that provide the tone of the nervous system and the activity of the body. As a result of the research, it was concluded that during inhalation, the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is excited, and during exhalation, the parasympathetic. This suggests that if breathing is properly controlled, the functional balance of the autonomic nervous system will return.

If you practice exercises with a long breath, then the activity of the nervous system will increase. The heart will begin to beat faster and the pressure will rise. The opposite effect is observed with a long exhalation - the nervous system calms down and its balance is restored. In this case, the heartbeats slow down, and the pressure drops. Thus, by controlling your breathing, you can cope with stress, get rid of insomnia, improve memory, cheer up and increase mental performance.

Contraindications for performing breathing exercises

Contraindications to breathing exercises are:

  • brain injury;
  • severely increased uncontrolled pressure;
  • radiculitis;
  • spinal injury;
  • severe osteochondrosis;
  • acute thrombophlebitis;
  • postinfarction condition;
  • bleeding;
  • mental illness;
  • serious somatic pathologies.

In these cases, you can start classes only with the permission of a doctor, who will determine the degree of load and intensity during training.

Rules for performing breathing exercises to calm down

If you want to achieve maximum results from training, then you need to familiarize yourself with the important rules and follow them during gymnastics:

  • you can practice lying down, sitting down, and standing. Relax all muscles, straighten your back and fully open chest so that it is filled with oxygen as much as possible;
  • breathe with your eyes closed and imagine beautiful landscapes, pleasant moments from life or cherished dreams;
  • focus on the breathing process and control all inhalation and exhalation;
  • do not overexert yourself during training. If you start to feel sick, tired, or dizzy, take a break.
  • repeat each exercise 5-10 times. The break between exercises should be no more than ten seconds;
  • during training, mentally say the phrases "I am relaxed" and "I am calm";
  • as you exhale, imagine that a dark cloud of negative energy comes out of you, and during inhalation you inhale a light cloud.

A set of exercises to calm down

There are a number of breathing exercises that can help calm the nervous system. To achieve the desired effect, you must correctly master their technique and follow all the rules of training.

Abdominal breathing

Most The right way breathing - not with the chest, as everyone is used to, but with the stomach. Mastering the technique of abdominal breathing is simple:

  1. Lie on your back, relax and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. With their help, you will control the movements of the abdomen and make sure that the chest does not rise.
  2. Inhale slowly through your nose. Your belly should be inflated and your chest should remain relaxed.
  3. This is followed by an exhalation, in which the stomach is strongly drawn in. The duration of the exhalation should be twice the length of the inspiration.
  4. After exhaling, hold your breath for two seconds and return to the exercise. Repeat it 10-20 times.

Video: belly breathing technique

Pectoral and clavicular breathing

The exercises are performed in much the same way as the previous one. Only when inhaling is it necessary to ensure that the stomach is relaxed, and the chest rises and falls. Do 10 reps. As for the clavicular breathing, after inhaling with the chest, you need to inhale a little more air, lifting the shoulders and collarbones. After that, exhale and lower your shoulders. Repeat 10 times.

Full breath

The exercise combines all three types of breathing: abdominal, chest and clavicular. It is not difficult to practice full breathing, but beginners will need some time to master the technique. First, lie on your back, relax and place your hands on your stomach and chest. Then start breathing:

  1. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Your belly will puff up. And the chest should be relaxed.
  2. When you fill your belly, start filling your chest.
  3. After filling your ribcage, inhale some more air, lifting your shoulders and collarbone.
  4. Exhale slowly through your nose. First of all, you need to lower the shoulders, then the chest and, finally, draw in the stomach.

V this exercise abdominal, chest and clavicular breathing are performed in one breath, without exhalations and pauses. Before repeating the exercise 5-7 more times, you must hold your breath for two seconds.

Video: Complete Yoga Breath

Breathing at the expense of 10

This exercise is also performed in a lying position. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose. And it is not the chest that should fill with air, but the stomach. You need to count all the breaths in and out. So, for even numbers you need to inhale, and for odd numbers, exhale. Speak the numbers in your mind, concentrating on each number. It is also very important to visualize the air entering and exiting your body. In one cycle, you need to count to ten, thereby making five inhalations and five exhalations. Then pause for a few seconds and repeat the cycle two or three more times.

Holding your breath

This is an extremely simple breathing technique that quickly recovers strength and calms the nerves. It is necessary to take a deep breath, after which you should hold your breath and exhale. The duration of each inhalation, holding and exhalation is 8 seconds. Thus, one cycle will take you 24 seconds. You need to breathe only through your nose, filling your stomach with air. Repeat the cycle 5-10 times.

The vritti itself

In another way, this exercise is called "equal breathing". This is due to the fact that all four phases of the exercise are equal in duration. To start, stand up straight or sit in the lotus position. Straighten your back and place your relaxed hands on your knees. You can also fold your fingers in the Jnana mudra. To do this, you need to connect thumb with a forefinger, and take the rest to the side.

Then exhale and start the exercise. Take a deep breath through your nose. Your belly should puff up. Then hold your breath, exhale and hold your breath again. Inhale, exhale, and both holdings should be four seconds long. A complete cycle is completed in 16 seconds. In total, you need to do five cycles, but over time, their number can be increased to ten.

Nadi shodhana

Sit on the floor and straighten your back. To begin with, you need to close your eyes, relax and take a few slow breaths in and out with your stomach. Connect your index finger to your middle finger and place them on the area between the eyebrows. A large and unnamed should be located on the nostrils. Right-handers should do this with their right hand, and left-handers with their left.

The exercise is performed in several stages. You can proceed to each subsequent stage only after 15 days of daily practice of the previous stage. All exercises must be repeated 5-10 times.

  1. Inhale and exhale five times with the left nostril. The right one should be pinched with your finger.
  2. Do the same with the right nostril.
  1. Inhale through your left nostril while pinching your right finger.
  2. Exhale through the right nostril while pinching the left.
  3. Continue pinching your left nostril and inhale through your right.
  4. Exhale through the left nostril.

It is very important to choose the length of inhalation and exhalation that is comfortable for you.

  1. Inhale with your left nostril. The right one should be clamped.
  2. Hold your breath. The length of this pause should be comfortable for you. You can start with a couple of seconds and then gradually increase the time.
  3. Exhale through the right nostril.
  4. Inhale through your right nostril.
  5. Hold your breath again.
  6. Exhale through the left nostril.

At the final stage, it is necessary to repeat everything that you did in the second stage, however, after each inhalation and exhalation, you must hold your breath. It is very important to control the length of inhalations, exhalations and pauses that follow. Observe the ratio 1: 4: 2: 2. So, if the inhalation length is 3 seconds, then the delay after it should last 12 seconds, and the exhalation and the delay after exhalation should be 6 seconds.

Video: technique for performing Nadi shodhana

Increasing relaxation technique

This technique is performed in any comfortable position. The main thing is to straighten your back and relax all the muscles. Imagine your body and start breathing. Take slow and deep breaths in and out through your nose and mentally linger on each part of the body, as if you are breathing one part or another of it. Start with your toes and finish the exercise when you get to the top of your head. It is necessary to make 2-3 inhalation and exhalation and go to another part of the body. In total, you need to do 5-10 approaches.

Fake yawning

Yawning oxygenates the blood and releases excess carbon dioxide. In addition, the muscles of the mouth, face and neck are strained, thereby accelerating blood flow in the vessels of the brain. To imitate yawning, you need to close your eyes, open your mouth as wide as possible and pronounce the sound “oo-oo-oo. The mouth should be tense. For achievement maximum effect you need to stretch your whole body and smile while yawning.

Kapalabhati

it effective exercise, which helps to cleanse the nasopharynx and increase blood flow to the abdominal organs. Also, thanks to him, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, headaches disappear, the abdominal muscles and the cardiovascular system are trained. Execution technique:

  1. Sit up straight and place your hands on your knees. The tip of the tongue should touch the palate behind the teeth.
  2. Breathe in slowly through your nose.
  3. Exhale quickly and vigorously. During exhalation, the abdomen should inflate.
  4. Take a short, natural breath. At the same time, the abdomen relaxes.

Thus, it is necessary to alternate fast and active exhalation with short breaths. Do 15-50 reps. If you start to feel uncomfortable, take a break. Subsequently, you can increase the number of cycles to one hundred.

Video: technique for performing the Kapalabhati exercise

Breathing exercises calms the nervous system, relieves stress and fatigue perfectly. Upon successful development correct technique breathing, you can learn to manage your mood and emotions, cope with stress and relax. The main thing is to follow the training rules and read the contraindications.

Inhalation and exhalation are vital unconditioned reflexes, without which it is impossible to exist. When breathing gets out of hand, the person feels uncomfortable. As soon as the work of the respiratory system is restored, we again feel protected. Stress, nervous breakdowns, depression and other problems with the nervous system can be overcome by concentrating on your breathing. In this matter, breathing exercises will come to the rescue to calm the nervous system.

It is said that men breathe through the belly and women breathe in through the chest. In fact, both chest and abdominal breathing occurs in both sexes. There are no rules or canons here and there cannot be - a person lets air into the lower or upper parts of the lungs, because he is so used to it or the constitutional features of his body contribute to this.

There are several types of breathing that are inherent in humans. As a rule, he chooses one of them, and it happens by itself. Breathing types:

  1. Top. In this case, air enters only the upper parts of the lungs. The rest of them are not filled with oxygen, therefore organs and tissues receive less oxygen from the blood, and suffer from this.
  2. The average. This is a deeper breathing, as it fills the lungs with air in the upper and middle parts. The bottom remains unused. This type does not fully satisfy the needs of organs and tissues for oxygen and, although the shortage is not so pronounced, it does occur.
  3. Lower. This is diaphragmatic breathing - a person breathes in and out through the lower parts of the pulmonary system. The lungs are completely saturated with oxygen, albeit in a small amount, but air enters all of their departments. Due to the fact that the inhalation is carried out through the diaphragm, the person's peristalsis improves.
  4. Complete. This type combines all of the above types of breathing. Deep and even breathing improves blood circulation, stable functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and protects against diseases. Full filling of the lungs is the most favorable type of breathing for human health.

Nervous and respiratory system very interdependent. When a person relaxes or falls asleep, his breathing becomes even and drawn out, since he is at rest. If we are passionate about something, immersed in work, concentrated on something, we breathe in and out less often.

When we are haunted by stress, excitement and negative emotions, the frequency of inhalation and exhalation increases, because the organs require more oxygen. Hence the expression "breathless with excitement." It becomes intermittent and frequent.

Rules for performing breathing exercises

“Take a few deep breaths and calm down” - each of us has heard this advice. And it's true effective remedy, because the saturation of cells with oxygen is slightly intoxicating and relaxing. If you regularly do breathing exercises, it will help you quickly get rid of the effects of stress. The basic rules to follow when doing the exercises:

  1. Exercise should be done with a straight back. It does not matter at all whether you are standing or lying down. It is necessary to fully open the chest so that the lungs are filled with oxygen as much as possible. You can also sit in the "lotus" position.
  2. Your thoughts should be pleasant. Beautiful landscapes, positive moments, cherished dreams will come to the rescue. You need to close your eyes, grab onto a pleasant thought and keep it in your head during breathing exercises.
  3. At first, the correctness of the inhalation and exhalation must be monitored. Once you get used to the exercises and memorize their sequence, this control is no longer necessary.
  4. All muscles should be relaxed. Starting from the toes and ending with the crown. The shoulders are lowered and extended, the neck and head are light as a feather.
  5. If you feel tired, take a break - you don't need to overwork yourself. Breathing exercises should be performed 6-8 times each, and between each of them there should be a break of no more than 10 seconds.
  6. Some mental self-hypnosis will not hurt either. Tell yourself that you are relaxed and calm and repeat this as often as you can while doing the exercises.
  7. When you exhale, you need to imagine that a black cloud of negativity flies out of your lungs and immediately disappears into nowhere. Thus, negative energy will come out of you. On the contrary, when inhaling, imagine that you are inhaling a white and clear cloud or a colorful and bright cloud and are filled with light.

Obviously, breathing exercises are nothing more than self-hypnosis, because only with positive thoughts you can relax and breathe in deeply. By filling the lungs, the blood receives more oxygen and nourishes the brain cells. This helps the nervous system to recover.

Simple Calming Exercises

If you have achieved such mastery that you take a long breath in and out in 2 minutes, this can contribute to the extension of life. Organs oxidize more slowly, because although oxygen is necessary, it gradually kills a person. When you exercise regularly, your body becomes accustomed to low oxygen levels. Conversely, the concentration of carbon dioxide rises, due to which the organs are more actively supplied with blood.

Simple breathing exercises:

  1. We take a deep breath and step exhalation. When the lungs are more trained, after inhaling, you can hold your breath for up to a minute, and then exhale.
  2. Diaphragmatic breathing. You need to inhale deeply and slowly with the lower part of the lungs for 3-4 seconds, and then exhale slowly - 5-6 seconds are enough for this. After a two-second break, repeat the exercise.
  3. Chest breathing. It is the chest that is involved in this exercise. A deep breath and a slow exhalation are performed in the same way as in the previous exercise at the same time intervals.
  4. Clavicular breathing. When inhaling, we raise the collarbones, and when we exhale, we lower them. We try, as it were, to stretch upward with the chest. We take as a basis the same time intervals as in the first exercise.
  5. Wavelike breathing. The lungs need to be filled gradually and completely. We begin to draw air with our stomach, then we move to the chest, and then to the collarbone. You need to exhale, using all parts of the lungs in reverse order - the collarbone, chest, abdomen. The exhalation should be smoother than the inhalation.

This simple gymnastics- a kind of training before more complex and lengthy exercises that must be performed in certain poses.

If you decide to approach this matter thoroughly, it is worth signing up for yoga. For correct execution difficult exercises you will need an experienced trainer. Some of the easier poses can be learned on your own.

Some more useful exercises ...

With the help of breathing exercises, you can make the brain work more actively, overcome insomnia, or get rid of stress. The following three exercises will help you accomplish this:

  • breathing through one nostril. Place the thumb right hand on the right nostril, and the little finger on the left. After that, alternately close one of the nostrils and inhale through the other, and then exhale through it. Inhalation through the right nasal passage activates the work of the left hemisphere, and through the left - the right one;
  • calm breaths to restore sleep. It is enough just to focus on your breathing and carry out measured inhalation and exhalation either with your chest or stomach for five minutes before going to bed. In this case, the palms are placed one above the other in the solar plexus region;
  • "Exhale" stress. We inhale quickly and deeply, hold our breath for 4 seconds, and then exhale slowly. During the execution, this technique can be mentally compared with our psychological state: stress is a short breath, making a decision is holding the breath, and overcoming stress is a smooth exhalation that brings relief.

In just 5 minutes a day of doing breathing exercises to calm the nervous system, you can strengthen not only your nerves, but also your physical health... Firstly, the organs are saturated with oxygen and at the same time get used to a smaller supply of this vital important element... Secondly, the volume of the lungs increases. And thirdly, stress resistance increases. Maximum benefit with minimum time investment!

The phrase "A breath of fresh air" is not clear to everyone. In fact, it means that a person has found a way out of a difficult life situation and now lives in peace. But not everyone understands that proper breathing during stress will improve health and emotional well-being. What exercises can you use to remove the "excitement" if you catch your breath from the nerves?

Correct breathing can help combat stress.

How does breathing work on the body?

Breathing exercises make the blood move faster through the body and collect unnecessary and sometimes even harmful substances on its way: dead cells, pieces of blood vessels, toxins. All collected debris is expelled through the lungs. Correct inhalation will saturate the blood with fresh oxygen, and through an intermediary will communicate it to the entire body, and exhalation will remove waste material from the body.

Breathing exercises to relieve stress helps cleanse the body. Breathing through the chest does not allow the lungs to open at full strength, so the body does not have enough nourishment, and the lungs themselves cannot be completely cleansed.

After a while, there is no room for garbage at all, and the blood again carries it to all organs. But if breathing is evened and every day to saturate the body fresh air, it will clean up and work fine.

Human lungs are cleansed by proper breathing

Existing exercises

Breathing exercises to calm the nervous system come in several forms.

  1. Abdominal exercise. When it is performed, a small volume of air penetrates into the lungs, so special efforts are not required. Often this type of breathing is difficult because many people squeeze the belly with a belt. But doing this exercise at least several times a day is good for the body.
  2. The middle breathing exercise is performed thanks to the ribs and fills the lungs well with air, but the abdominal one is able to open them much better.
  3. The upper breathing exercise is performed by almost everyone. It only works on the upper lungs and allows them to work at full strength.
  4. A complete breathing exercise makes it possible to fill the entire body with air, and completely rid it of harmful substances when you exhale, since it includes all three types of exercises

How can breathing help you avoid stress?

Breathing correctly during times of stress can help relieve tension and regain peace of mind. Frequent breaths speed up blood circulation, increase the heart rate, so there is not enough time for the breathing process. The body starts to work twice as fast, and brain activity weakens. That is why a person can often make the wrong decisions. Severe stress arises, and the person loses control over himself.

By learning how to do breathing exercises to calm the nerves, the body can recover quickly.

Reducing the breathing rate means calming down, finding harmony with yourself. Therefore, breathing is simply necessary for a person to calm the nerves.

Stress Relief Technique

Breathing technique is aimed at relieving tension. It has 3 important goals:

  • help the body breathe at full strength;
  • inhale and exhale equally;
  • start breathing correctly and rhythmically.

It is not uncommon for people to experiment with breathing: they often begin to breathe heavily. This leads to dizziness. Of course, such a result is not dangerous, but you need to know about it in advance. To return to the starting position, a person needs to breathe for a couple of minutes at a normal pace, and when the head stops spinning, continue gymnastics. Don't breathe too often. Inhale and exhale gently and slowly.

Gymnastics to the rhythm of the heart

This technique is advised by many experts. It is performed to the rhythm of the heart. First you need to find your pulse, close your eyes and feel your breathing and heartbeat. When a person gets used to the rhythm, he needs to count the number of beats that fall on inhalation and exhalation.

You need to exhale at the first, second and third beats of the pulse. It is necessary to find a rhythm that is convenient for oneself, since the tension of the organism depends on it. A person may notice that his heart began to beat faster - it depends on the frequency of breathing. A prolonged exhalation will slightly slow down the heartbeat and it will become much more comfortable for a person to do gymnastics.

During a period of tension in the nervous system, the synchronization of the respiratory and cardiac rhythm becomes less, this is how physiological processes operate. Therefore, when a person adjusts the rhythm of the heart and breathing, it eases the action of the nervous system, helping to relieve tension and returning the body to a state of calm.

Respiratory gymnastics can take place in the rhythm of the heartbeat

Breathing technique for the abdomen

For this technique, you need to place your hand on your stomach and hear the rhythm of your breathing. You can fantasize and think that there is a ball in the stomach. When a person breathes in, the ball expands and stretches the abdomen, and on exhalation, the abdomen becomes smaller, since the ball is deflated.

The exhalation occurs on its own, so there is no need to do anything. You don't have to squeeze out the air by straining your abdominal muscles. Let him come out on his own, slowly and smoothly. The technique lasts 1-2 minutes, during which time a person gets used to breathing correctly. Then you can gradually increase the duration of the exhalation so that it lasts longer than the inhalation.

Now you need to learn how to breathe smoothly with your stomach. The exhalation is more important than the inhalation. You need to close your eyes for 3-5 minutes and breathe correctly. A person should pay attention to sensations at the moment of breathing: how the stomach moves and how the body feels. It is enough to do the technique for 3-5 minutes, and immediately feel the calming of the nervous system.

Breathing exercises with the abdomen can be combined with meditation. This will increase the result and improve the functioning of the nervous system.

Breathing technique at the expense

The counting technique helps to make breathing evenly. As practice shows, such gymnastics is best done with the stomach. If a person is unaccustomed to breathing from his belly, any convenient method can be used.

  1. First you need to close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Then you need to start mentally counting and remembering how many counts are for inhalation and exhalation. For example, if the counts are 5 on the inhale and 6 on the exhale, then the exhalation is slightly longer than the inhalation.
  2. You need to observe and count for a few minutes. It is necessary to control the count in such a way that exhalation and exhalation at each stage are the same. This will make breathing rhythmic.
  3. After a person learns to inhale and exhale in the same way, he can try to increase the length of the breath. At first, you can lengthen the inhalation by one count. For example, if the inhalation lasted 5 counts, then now it can be increased to 6. So you need to breathe for a few minutes to get used to. This breathing gives the body the opportunity to relax.
  4. At the next stage, the inhalation remains the same, but the exhalation can be stretched and breathed for a couple of minutes. The exhalation can be stretched as long as it is comfortable.
  5. Now the person should start breathing in the opposite direction: shorten the inhalation and exhalation in the same way. If things get tough, you should go back to the original account. A person himself must control inhalation and exhalation, feel comfortable and not tense.

Thus, a person will select for himself comfortable breathing exercises, which will help him relax and improve the nervous system.

Conclusion

It is easy to relieve tension with breathing exercises. The main thing is to find a convenient technique for yourself. After that, the person will be able to control their negative emotions and feelings.

Soothing breathing techniques very convenient, they can be carried out at any time of the day, anywhere. Any breathing exercise that relieves tension will have a beneficial effect on the body.

If you have panic attacks then you easily get into a state of excitement. In order to effectively reduce arousal, you need to master the breathing technique for complete relaxation. Not everyone is able to concentrate in order to use relaxing breathing during a panic attack. Therefore, this technique is best applied while there is still no panic. But when the excitement and anxiety that preceded it had already appeared. Using this breathing technique can prevent panic or vegetative attacks.

How does breathing work on the body?

Breathing exercises make the blood move faster through the body and collect unnecessary and sometimes even harmful substances on its way: dead cells, pieces of blood vessels, toxins. All collected debris is expelled through the lungs.

Correct inhalation will saturate the blood with fresh oxygen, and through an intermediary will communicate it to the entire body, and exhalation will remove waste material from the body. Breathing exercises to relieve stress helps cleanse the body. Breathing through the chest does not allow the lungs to open at full strength, so the body does not have enough nourishment, and the lungs themselves cannot be completely cleansed.

After a while, there is no room for garbage at all, and the blood again carries it to all organs. But if you even breathe and saturate the body with fresh air every day, it will cleanse itself and work normally.

How can breathing help you avoid stress?

Breathing correctly during times of stress can help relieve tension and regain peace of mind. Frequent breaths speed up blood circulation, increase the heart rate, so there is not enough time for the breathing process. The body starts to work twice as fast, and brain activity weakens. That is why a person can often make the wrong decisions. Severe stress arises, and the person loses control over himself. By learning how to do breathing exercises to calm the nerves, the body can recover quickly.

Reducing the breathing rate means calming down, finding harmony with yourself. Therefore, breathing is simply necessary for a person to calm the nerves.

Why does the total relaxation breathing technique work?

This breathing technique is based on understanding the characteristics of a person's breathing in different states. A certain type of breathing corresponds to certain emotional states:

♦ When a person is anxious, he breathes shallowly, often. The inhalation is longer than the exhalation. This feature is designed to mobilize a person for an immediate response.

♦ When a person is completely relaxed, he breathes deeply. When you inhale, the diaphragm falls. It seems that a person breathes not with his chest, but with his stomach. The exhalation in a state of relaxation is much longer than the inhalation. The face, forehead and lips of a calm person are relaxed. The mouth is slightly open. Exhalation is often noisy, and sometimes when exhaling, a person makes certain sounds. They may sound like a moan or a sigh.

Starting to breathe in this way, which is called standing, "holding your breath", you can bring yourself into the desired state. The body perceives your breath as a guide to action. Once you learn how to breathe to completely relax, you can voluntarily calm down.


What do you need to learn to completely relax?

To relieve stress effectively, you need to learn several skills:

1. Learn diaphragmatic breathing.
2. Learn to make an exhalation longer than an inhalation.
3. Learn to relax the muscles of the face and body.
4. Form the skill of quick relaxation at will.
5. Apply this skill at a time when arousal and anxiety increase.

Breathing for total relaxation

Find a place where you will not be disturbed. It is good to learn breathing techniques before bed. Or at a time when there is nowhere to rush. Set aside at least 20 minutes for your workout. Learn the skills of total relaxation while lying down.

1. Learn diaphragmatic breathing

Learn the technique of diaphragmatic breathing. To do this, place one palm on your stomach. As you breathe from your belly, your palm will go up and down. When this type of breathing starts without special problems supported by itself, without your control, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Learning to make an exhalation longer than an inhalation

Continue to breathe so that your stomach rises and falls. Take a short, deep breath. Exhale slowly. The exhalation should be even, long. Breathe in relatively short but calmly. The exhalation should be at least 2 times longer than the inhalation. The longer the exhalation is obtained, the more relaxation can be achieved. Observe the feeling of relaxation. As the body begins to relax, you may feel a warm and heavy feeling in your arms and legs. When it will be possible to inhale shorter than the exit without your control, proceed to the next step.

3. Relax the body

Connect body relaxation to your breath. Continue to inhale shorter than the exhalation. What can help relax the body? Below are four techniques for body relaxation. Try each one.

♦ Take a look at your body in your mind, look into every corner of it. If you find tension in the body, try to release it with the exhalation. Imagine that with the exhalation, all your clamps and pain go away. You kind of breathe out the tension. And completely relax.
♦ Relax the muscles of the face, forehead, lips. Open your mouth a little, as you would when a person is asleep. As you exhale, fold your mouth and lips as if you were saying whoa to the horse. At the same time, make sure that your cheeks are not puffed up. Facial relaxation is the most effective method relieve tension.
♦ It is easier to relieve tension if each time you breathe out, you pronounce vowel sounds - long "a", "o" or "y". They may somewhat resemble a moan or a sigh. Feel free to make sounds. it great way relieve tension.
♦ Perhaps your imagination can help you completely relax. Imagine that you are on vacation on the shore of a warm sea. You have a lot of time - there is no need to rush anywhere. You hear the rhythmic sound of the surf. A pleasant breeze is blowing gently. You feel the moist sea air. The sun's rays caress your body. Imagine this picture as if you were watching a 4-D movie.

4. Develop the skill of quick relaxation

Take time to exercise. Learn breathing and relaxation skills for at least six sessions. Learn by lying down first. Then sitting and standing.

Your task is to learn to completely relax automatically, for a short time... Observe what helps you to relax most effectively. Perhaps this is the concentration of attention on a certain part of the body. Or the imagination that you are on vacation on the shore of a warm sea. Remember these feelings. Remember them when you need to quickly relax.

5. We use the breathing technique for complete relaxation

It is not enough to learn the relaxation skill. You must apply it every time you feel anxious and excited. If you have mastered the technique well, it will help to reduce the frequency or even avoid the occurrence of panic attacks.

6. Gymnastics in the rhythm of the heart

This technique is advised by many experts. It is performed to the rhythm of the heart. First you need to find your pulse, close your eyes and feel your breathing and heartbeat. When a person gets used to the rhythm, he needs to count the number of beats that fall on inhalation and exhalation.

You need to exhale at the first, second and third beats of the pulse. It is necessary to find a rhythm that is convenient for oneself, since the tension of the organism depends on it. A person may notice that his heart began to beat faster - it depends on the frequency of breathing. A prolonged exhalation will slightly slow down the heartbeat and it will become much more comfortable for a person to do gymnastics.

During a period of tension in the nervous system, the synchronization of the respiratory and cardiac rhythm becomes less, this is how physiological processes operate. Therefore, when a person adjusts the rhythm of the heart and breathing, it eases the action of the nervous system, helping to relieve tension and returning the body to a state of calm.

7. Technique of breathing for the abdomen

For this technique, you need to place your hand on your stomach and hear the rhythm of your breathing. You can fantasize and think that there is a ball in the stomach. When a person breathes in, the ball expands and stretches the abdomen, and on exhalation, the abdomen becomes smaller, since the ball is deflated.

The exhalation occurs on its own, so there is no need to do anything. You don't have to squeeze out the air by straining your abdominal muscles. Let him come out on his own, slowly and smoothly. The technique lasts 1-2 minutes, during which time a person gets used to breathing correctly. Then you can gradually increase the duration of the exhalation so that it lasts longer than the inhalation.

Now you need to learn how to breathe smoothly with your stomach. The exhalation is more important than the inhalation. You need to close your eyes for 3-5 minutes and breathe correctly. A person should pay attention to sensations at the moment of breathing: how the stomach moves and how the body feels. It is enough to do the technique for 3-5 minutes, and immediately feel the calming of the nervous system.

Breathing exercises with the abdomen can be combined with meditation. This will increase the result and improve the functioning of the nervous system.

8. Breathing technique at the expense

The counting technique helps to make breathing evenly. As practice shows, such gymnastics is best done with the stomach. If a person is unaccustomed to breathing from his belly, any convenient method can be used.

1. First you need to close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Then you need to start mentally counting and remembering how many counts are for inhalation and exhalation. For example, if the counts are 5 on the inhale and 6 on the exhale, then the exhalation is slightly longer than the inhalation.
2. You need to observe and count for a few minutes. It is necessary to control the count in such a way that exhalation and exhalation at each stage are the same. This will make breathing rhythmic.
3. After a person learns to inhale and exhale in the same way, he can try to increase the length of the breath. At first, you can lengthen the inhalation by one count. For example, if the inhalation lasted 5 counts, then now it can be increased to 6. So you need to breathe for a few minutes to get used to. This breathing gives the body the opportunity to relax.
4. At the next stage, the inhalation remains the same, but the exhalation can be stretched and breathed for a couple of minutes. The exhalation can be stretched as long as it is comfortable.
5. Now the person should start breathing in the opposite direction: shorten the inhalation and exhalation in the same way. If things get tough, you should go back to the original account. A person himself must control inhalation and exhalation, feel comfortable and not tense.

Thus, a person will select for himself comfortable breathing exercises, which will help him relax and improve the nervous system.


Respiratory gymnastics: we breathe easily and calmly

  1. Concentrate on your breathing, inhale and exhale slowly and rhythmically for a count of five. Repeat this exercise 10 times, try to keep the inhalation and exhalation equal in length.
  2. Inhale and exhale lightly. Then breathe in deeply and slowly through your mouth. Feel the air fill your chest and then your belly. Also exhale slowly, then inhale and exhale shallowly. Repeat this exercise 5-6 times.
  3. Put your palm on upper part belly and take a deep breath. Feel your palm rise. Then exhale slowly while watching the palm drop. Concentrate on this movement. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
  4. Close your eyes. Inhale slowly, imagining bliss and tranquility pouring into your body along with the air. Then exhale slowly, imagining the tension and stress leaving your body along with the air. Do as many times as you wish.

Try this affordable breathing exercise as many times a day as you like. You can do it in the morning, during your lunch break, or on a walk in the park with your children. Try to breathe mindfully, observing your breath and all your movements. At the same time, feel how the body is filled with calmness, how healing energy flows through its channels, and each of its cells is renewed with every breath.

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