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Tap Into a World of Profound Benefits
In our fast-paced, stress-filled lives, finding moments of calm and tranquillity becomes essential for our overall well-being. One powerful tool that can help us achieve this is reduced breathing exercises. By consciously slowing down and regulating our breath throughout the day, we can tap into a world of profound benefits for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Let's explore the importance of incorporating reduced breathing exercises into our daily routine.
One of the primary benefits of reduced breathing exercises is their ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the rest-and-digest response—helping to counterbalance the effects of chronic stress on our bodies. By intentionally slowing down our breath, we signal to our body that it is safe to relax, reducing cortisol levels and promoting a sense of calmness.
When we engage in reduced breathing exercises such as deep diaphragmatic breathing or extended exhales, we increase oxygen flow to the brain while simultaneously stimulating the vagus nerve—a key component in regulating cognitive function. This leads to improved mental clarity, enhanced focus, and increased productivity throughout the day.
Our breath acts as a bridge between mind and body—connecting us with our emotions on a deep level. By consciously regulating our breath through reduced breathing exercises during moments of emotional turbulence or overwhelm, we create space for self-reflection and emotional regulation. This allows us to respond rather than react impulsively in challenging situations.
Reduced breathing exercises promote efficient use of oxygen by engaging deeper diaphragmatic breaths rather than shallow chest-breathing patterns often associated with stress or anxiety. This strengthens respiratory muscles while increasing lung capacity—an essential aspect for optimal respiratory health.
Paradoxically, slowing down your breath can actually increase your energy levels. By engaging in reduced breathing exercises, we optimize oxygen intake and utilization, providing a natural boost to our energy reserves. This can help combat fatigue and promote sustained vitality throughout the day.
Reduced breathing exercises serve as an anchor to the present moment—a reminder to be fully present in our experiences rather than being caught up in past regrets or future worries. By focusing on the sensations of each breath, we cultivate mindfulness and develop a greater appreciation for the beauty of life unfolding around us.
Reduced breathing exercises induce physical relaxation by releasing tension held within our bodies. As we consciously slow down our breath, we activate the body's relaxation response—relaxing muscles, reducing blood pressure, and promoting an overall sense of ease.
Incorporating reduced breathing exercises into your daily routine doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. It can be as simple as taking a few moments throughout the day to pause, close your eyes if possible, and take several slow deep breaths—focusing on extending your exhales slightly longer than your inhales.
Remember that consistency is key when it comes to reaping the benefits of reduced breathing exercises. Aim for regular practice throughout the day—whether it's during moments of stress at work, before important meetings or presentations, or simply during quiet moments when you need a reset.
So take a deep inhale...and exhale any tension or worries that no longer serve you. Embrace reduced breathing exercises as an invitation to cultivate calmness amidst life's chaos—a powerful tool that empowers you with greater resilience and well-being throughout each day.
Breathe in serenity... Breathe out limitations... Discover the transformative power of reduced breathing exercises on your journey towards holistic well-being!
Here are some examples of reduced breathing exercises along with instructions:
Benefits: Prevention of thyroid disorders, cure of snoring problem, alleviation of anxiety and stress, release of tensions and tight areas in the body
Contraindications: heart-related issues, migraine, blood pressure problems, pregnancy and menstruation
Technique: inhalation and exhalation through the nose and belly breathing is utilized. Inhalations and exhalations are equal in duration. The mouth is kept closed, constricting the throat until you make a rush noise that sounds like a snore when you are breathing
Benefits: Healthy and strong lungs, blood is purified, high energy levels, internal organ massage, improving digestion and strengthen immune system. Remove stagnant gases from the digestive system and Clear nasal and sinus congestion
Contraindications: high blood pressure, heart problems, gastric/abdominal conditions, pregnancy
Technique: Inhale and exhale through the mouth. Pump your diaphragm towards your spine with each breath. Inhale naturally and exhale forcefully, using your belly. It will look like panting.
Benefits: Respiratory muscle efficiency, metabolism stimulation, help in curing infections
Contraindications: hypertension, ulcers, being at risk for stroke, epilepsy, detached retina, recent abdominal surgery, pregnancy
Technique: Take in a deep breath and breathe out forcefully through the nose. Immediately, breathe in with the same force. Use your diaphragmatic muscles and keep breathing repeatedly. Your belly expands with each inhalation and releases with each exhale.
The breath should be exaggerated with a nasal sound accompanying it. Make sure that the breath is controlled and rhythmic. You can do 10 cycles to complete one round.
ENERGY BOOST: Increase your metabolism slightly and boost your adrenaline levels for more energy.
MOOD LIFT: Dopamine and serotonin will also be produced, which can improve mood.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: The adrenaline boost will also release natural steroids that have and anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
RAISE BODY TEMPERATURE: When combined with breath holding, it induces a fever-like response in the body that can suppress and ward off infections. It can also help you stay warm in cold climates or ice baths.
CAUTION: This technique can also raise your blood pressure slightly, but then cause a drop in both heart rate and blood pressure. Use with caution and very gradually if you suffer from high blood pressure.
How to do the method:
Sit comfortably in an upright position with your back straight.
Tightly contract your pelvic floor muscles (Mula Bandha).
Hold the contraction for as long as you feel comfortable and watch your heart rate go up on your monitor by around 20-30 BPM. Alternatively, place one hand on your chest and feel your heart rate increase.
Gently release and relax the muscles and watch a drop in heart rate – even below your normal resting heart rate – for a few moments.
If you hold your breath in while you contract your muscles it will enhance the effect and you will also feel a rise in body temperature.
Note: To increase the energetic charge do 10-15 cycles of rhythmic breathing at a 2:2 or 4:4 rhythm at 60-120 bpm and then do the technique.
Benefits: Balancing autonomic nervous system, oxygenating both hemispheres of the brain, lowers stress and anxiety, promoting cardiovascular health
Contraindications: Mostly safe
Technique: Take a full, deep inhalation and exhale slowly and gently. Then find Vishnu mudra by folding the tips of the index and middle fingers inward until they touch the palm at the base of the right thumb. For this technique, you will alternately use the right thumb to
close the right nostril and the right ring and pinky fingers (together) to close the left nostril. Now close the right nostril using the right thumb. Exhale through the left nostril gently. Keep the right nostril closed and inhale through the left nostril. As you inhale, allow the breath to
travel upward along the left side of the body. Pause shortly at the crown of the head. Now change the position of your fingers; use the ring and pinky fingers of the right hand to close the left nostril and release the right nostril at the same time. Exhale through the right
nostril, surrendering the breath down the right side of the body. Pause gently at the bottom of the exhalation. Keep the left nostril closed and inhale through the right nostril again. This time allows the breath to travel up the right side of the body and exhale through the left
nostril. Then again, use the right thumb to close the right nostril as you release the left nostril. Exhale through the left nostril, letting the breath travel back down the left side of the body. Pause gently at the bottom of the exhalation. You can practice this for 5 to 15 minutes.
Benefits: Cooling down the body, calming thirst and hunger, reducing fatigue, bad breath, fevers, and high blood pressure.
Contraindications: Low blood pressure, bronchitis or excess mucus, chronic constipation.
Technique: You simply curl the sides of your tongue and breathe in through your mouth. If this is not possible for you, you can do Sitkari Pranayama/Hissing Teeth Breath instead. To practice Sithaki pranayama, gently press your upper and lower teeth together and open
your lips. Then curl your tongue upwards so that the lower part of your tongue touches the upper palate or alternatively rest your tongue at the back of the teeth. Then breathe in slowly and deeply through the gaps present in the teeth.
Benefits: Instant relief from tension, migraine mitigation, confidence boosting, blood pressure reduction, memory improvement
Contraindications: There are no contraindications.
Technique: Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Then close your ears with your thumbs. Place your index finger above your eyebrows and the rest of your fingers over your eyes with your middle fingers. Apply some gentle pressure to the sides of your nose. Now focus on
the area between your eyebrows. Keeping your mouth closed, exhale slowly through your nose while making a humming sound of Om. Repeat this process for at least 5 minutes.
Box breathing is a form of deep yogic breathing employed by the United States Navy SEALs and by stressed-out people everywhere. It’s also known as sama vritti pranayama, born of the yogic practice of pranayama.
Its common name, “box breathing,” refers to the fact that a box has four sides, a concept represented here by breathing while you slowly count to four for a total of four times - four counts of breathing in, four counts of holding your breath, four counts of exhaling and four
more counts of holding after your exhale. It helps to calm people down.
Technique: Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs. Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. Be conscious of how the air fills your lungs and stomach. Hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale for another count of four. Hold
your breath again for a count of four. Repeat for three to four rounds
This therapeutic technique combines Rhythmic breathing and the extended out-breath. Rhythmic breathing is required in order to perform the extended out-breath. The extended out-breath lowers your oxygen levels in your blood so you create episodes of brief intermittent hypoxia.
What is the method used for?
CARDIAC HEALTH: Improves circulation due to vasodilation and growth of new blood vessels.
BRAIN HEALTH: Blood flow is improved to organs that use up a lot of oxygen like your brain. This may even lead to activation of dormant parts of the brain, improving cognitive function and memory.
ANTI-AGING/LONGEVITY: May activate stem cells into circulation for regenerating cells in your body.
ENDURANCE: Improves fitness and stamina as you produce more red blood cells, new blood vessels, and increase blood flow to your organs.
RAPID TARGETED HEALING: Combined with additional visualisation exercises you can invoke a healing response in your body for quicker healing times. This is also very useful if you have a cut or graze on your skin.
How to do the method:
Do this technique in the morning on an empty stomach.
Sit comfortably with your back straight in an upright position. Or, lie down on a flat stable surface.
Place the pulse oximeter on your finger tip if you are using one.
Inhale fully through your nose, filling up your lungs completely with air. To breathe in deeper, imagine you are breathing into your back. Your lungs are actually closer to the back of your body than the front. As you inhale, your abdomen should rise first, and then your chest.
Once you have inhaled fully, it is as simple as letting go of all tension and exhaling with no force at all. Let natural pressure empty your lungs.
When you have exhaled, breathe in fully again, with no force. Create a continuous and connected rhythmical breathing pattern.
Do 20-30 repetitions until you feel tingly or light headed. You will see your SpO₂ rise up to 99% or even 100% signalling that you are fully saturated with oxygen.
On the final exhalation, breathe out as much as possible. By making a hissing sound you can completely remove all the air from your lungs. It may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to it as you practice.
Hold your breath with absolutely no air in your lungs for as long as you possibly can.
At around 60-90 seconds of holding your breath, you will notice your blood saturation begins to drop fast. Go gradually and slowly at first until you are able to comfortably hold your breath to see your SpO₂ levels drop below 90%. This is usually enough to trigger the positive stress response in the body. Around 85% and lower is when you are in a hypoxic state and stem cell circulation is triggered.
When you can no longer hold your breath, take a quick inhalation, then quickly exhale again and repeat, by making a hissing sound to remove all the air from your lungs. This will further bring your oxygen levels down. You can repeat this a few times for as long as you feel comfortable.
Do at least 2 rounds of the full sequence above that consists of continuous breathing followed by breatholds each morning on an empty stomach.
During the breath holding phase you will go into a deeply relaxed meditative state. Use this time to visualize stem cells moving around your body and going to the areas where you want new cells to be generated or healing to occur.
ADD ON: When you can no longer hold your breath, you can use the energy technique on your inhalation and tightly squeeze the area you want to send the generated energy for healing and rejuvenation to. You can then hold your breath on the inhalation for as long as you feel comfortable.
What Is The Method Used For?
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Kill off bad bacteria and promote the growth of good bacteria. Cleanse the stomach and intestines with air.
STOMACH ULCERS: Oxygen kills Helicobacter Pylori, which is linked to stomach ulcers, so you can recover faster and without medications.
EASE ACIDITY: Air helps relieve the pain from excess acidity and indigestion.
APPETITE SUPPRESSANT: Drinking air fills the stomach, satisfying the appetite, leaving you feeling full.
How to do the method:
Only practise this technique on a totally empty stomach. That means first thing in the morning, or on days that you fast.
Kneel in a comfortable position with your back straight. Make sure the muscles of your abdomen are very relaxed.
Take a small inhalation then push your chin out, while making a beak shape with your lips. This will open your esophagus and allow air to flow into your stomach.
Slowly drink the air into your stomach. You may hear or feel a gurgling sensation from the air entering your stomach.
Once you have taken in an adequate quantity of air, immediately swallow and drop your neck down so that your chin touches your chest. Hold this position in a relaxed manner, without force.
Visualise the air moving down your esophagus and into your stomach. Keep your abdominal muscles very relaxed.
Repeat this process a few times until your belly fills up with air. You may even get a pot belly as your stomach can hold a lot of air.
Once you feel you have taken in enough air, staying with your knees on the floor, lean forward so that the top of your head now touches the ground. Your abdomen will now be slightly higher than your stomach as you are in an inverted position. This allows the air from your belly to flow into your intestines to cleanse and nourish them.
You can now repeat this process a few times throughout the day if you are fasting throughout the day.
After a few hours you will pass the air out of your anus naturally without any odours.
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, placing one hand on your chest and another on your abdomen just below the ribcage.
- Take slow, deep breaths in through your nose, allowing the air to fill up first in your abdomen (feel it rise) before expanding into your chest.
- Exhale gently through either nostril or mouth while contracting and emptying out all air from both chest and abdomen.
- Continue this pattern for several minutes, focusing on relaxing any tension in the body with each exhale.
- Find a comfortable seated position and relax your body.
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose to the count of four.
- Hold the breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale slowly and completely through either your nose or mouth to the count of eight, making an audible "whoosh" sound as you release the air.
- Repeat this cycle three more times, maintaining the same ratio.
Remember to approach these exercises gently and listen to your body. Start with shorter durations and gradually increase as you become more comfortable. These reduced breathing exercises can be practiced throughout the day whenever you need a moment of calmness or focus.
Enjoy exploring these techniques as you cultivate a deeper connection with your breath and experience their transformative benefits!
