Often overlooked, breathing is a real stress reliever that you can use at any time. To soothe your mind, calm your emotions and clear your thoughts, here are 3 types of easy-to-do relaxation exercises.
- 1. Release tension with reverse breathing
- Sit or lie down to release tension in the diaphragm while strengthening the abdominal muscles.
- Inhale as much as possible by retracting the belly under the ribs and exhale through the mouth by contracting the abdominal muscles.
- Repeat the series 5 to 10 times.
- 2. Manage your emotions with heart coherence
- Use the heart coherence biofeedback technique to regulate your heartbeat with a regular breathing pattern
- Breathe in deeply to the count of 5 and breathe out slowly to the count of 5
- Repeat the series 30 times
- 3. Soothe yourself with alternate nostril breathing
- Sit on a chair, on the floor or on a cushion.
- Block your right nostril with your thumb and inhale for 4 seconds through your left nostril.
- Hold your breath for 16 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds
- Repeat, this time blocking the left nostril.
- Repeat the series 10 times at first and gradually increase
So, on your marks... ready? Breathe in!
