Thursday, August 6, 2009

Breathing Exercises


Did you know this?
Shallow breathing causes one to tire out faster, adds stress, reduces the relaxation level, reduces the body oxygenation level and results in poor functioning of all body systems (digestive, respiratory, glandular, circulatory and nervous).

This comes from Project Armannd. Breathing evenly and regularly is something that I am working on. These exercises I found simple and effective. I hope you enjoy them, too.

  • Lie on your back and put a book on your stomach. Relax and inhale deeply into your abdomen so that the book rises. Exhale - the book should fall. Do this for 3-4 minutes every morning and before going to sleep.
  • Sit. Place the right hand on your abdomen and the left hand on your chest. Breathe deeply so that your right hand will rise and fall while your stomach should stay relatively still. Do this for 2 minutes. As you breathe in, count to 4, hold for 2, and release your breath in 4 counts.
  • Alternate nose breathing. It’s purpose is to relieve stress and what you basically need to do is to breathe in one nostril and out the other. Then breathe in the second nostril and out the first. Breathe in the left nostril to the count of 6, while using your finger to hold the right nostril closed. Hold your breath for 3 counts. Release the right nostril and while your left nostril is closed, breathe out in the count of 6. Breathe back in the right nostril for 6 count. Hold for 3 counts. Release the left and breathe out to the count of 6 while the right nostril is closed. Repeat this a couple of times.
  • Lie flat on floor or mattress, the head unsupported. Relax the muscles all over the body, then inhale deeply with the diaphragm only, raising the wall of the abdomen just below the ribs without elevating either the chest or the lower abdomen. Take about four seconds to inhale, then exhale in twice that length of time, contracting the abdomen below the ribs.
  • Lie on your back on a bed or couch, knees raised. Relax thoroughly, exhale and hold the breath after exhalation. While doing so, push the abdomen out and draw it in as far as possible each way. Repeat these movements as long as you can hold the breath without straining, then breathe deeply and regularly for several minutes, then repeat the massage movements.
  • With hands at sides or on hips, inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, bringing the entire respiratory apparatus into active play.

2 comments:

Hello Kosmos said...

Well thank you so much for a great post. I do agree with you, the exercises are simple and effective.
I don't have to keep doing them, but I want to, simply because I feel so FRESH after each exercise... DO TRY!

NAVAL LANGA said...

By doing yoga postures, we can do the breathing exercises, too.