Incorporating Breathwork into your Daily Routine to Help Alleviate Stress

Incorporating Breathwork into your Daily Routine
to Help Alleviate Stress

Our lives are stressful enough. And while we have heard the important benefits of meditation, sometimes even that can feel overwhelming, and just one more thing to add to our already full plates. Enter breathwork.

Breathwork is a powerful tool we can utilize anywhere to help quiet our minds and bring us back into a state of balance and calm.

Whether you take a few moments before you begin your day, or even while in your car before work or running errands, breathwork can be extremely effective in alleviating stress. Think of breathwork as a necessary reset button for your brain that allows you to be more present in the moment.

There are many types of breathwork that can help alleviate stress, below are a few of our favorites!

1.     Deep breathing can be done first thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed, to kickstart your day.

*With your left hand on your heart, right hand on your stomach, breathe in fully through your nose, allowing your belly to fill up with air

*Breathe out fully through your nose

*Repeat at least three times, up to as many breaths as you feel necessary before you get out of bed

Notes: As you breathe in, feel your belly rise, and as you breathe out, feel it fall.

2.     The 4-7-8 breath can help reduce stress and anxiety and can even improve the quality of your sleep. By simply making your exhales longer than your inhales, your body goes into a parasympathetic state, lowering cortisol levels and even blood pressure. The parasympathetic state is when you truly heal, grow and expand.

*With your lips closed, breathe in through your nose for a count of 4
*Pause at the top of your inhale for a count of 7
*Open mouth exhale for a count of 8 (this completes one cycle)
*Repeat as many times as necessary
Notes: Practice 2-3 rounds when first trying this breath, as it can often make you lightheaded. You should also be sitting or lying down while practicing. 

3.     Box Breathing can help you cope with panic and stress as it arises. It even helps you refocus during a busy day.

*First visualize drawing a box:
*Begin by inhaling through your nose (drawing the side of the box upwards)
*Pause at the top (drawing the line across)
*Exhale through your mouth (drawing the line down)
*Pause at the bottom (drawing the line across)
Notes: Each breath and pause should all be the same count of breath. For instance, you can inhale for a count of 5, pause for a count of 5, exhale for a count of 5, pause for a count of 5. You can also do this with shorter or longer counts as well.

4.     Alternate Nostril Breathing improves breathing overall, and helps calm the mind, bringing better balance to your nervous system. This breath technique can also reduce stress, headaches, and can even lower blood pressure.

*Finger Placement: Option 1 - Place the tip of your index finger and middle finger of your right hand on your forehead in between your eyebrows. You will use your ring finger on your left nostril and your thumb on your right nostril. Option 2 – Tuck your index finger and middle finger into the palm of your hand. You will use your ring finger on your left nostril and your thumb on your right nostril.
*Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through your left nostril. Pause.
*Close your left nostril with your ring finger and breathe out through your right nostril. Breathe in through your right nostril. Pause.
*Close your right nostril, breathe out through your left nostril. Breathe in through your left nostril. Continue this cycle.
Notes:
*For this breath technique, be in a comfortable seated position. Sit up tall, with your head stacked over your shoulders, over your hips, and make sure both sits bones are both on your mat/cushion/pillow.
*The above method is using your right hand. You may also use your left hand by reversing instructions.

If you would like to take your breathwork even further to help alleviate stress, check out more information on Emotion Code. This energy healing modality allows you to release trapped emotions that are weighing you down from feeling your very best. https://www.nutritionwholehealthsolutions.com/emotion-code-1