Box Breathing
What It Is:
Box breathing is a deep breathing technique used to calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and improve focus. It’s often used by athletes, the military, and high-stress professionals to manage anxiety and stress.
How to Do It:
- Inhale: Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold: Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Exhale: Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds.
- Hold: Hold your breath again for 4 seconds.
Repeat this cycle for 4-5 minutes, focusing on your breath and the rhythm of the counting.
What It Helps With:
- Reduces Stress and Anxiety: By regulating your breath, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body.
- Improves Focus: It helps center your mind and enhance concentration, making it great for moments when you feel overwhelmed.
- Promotes Relaxation: The deliberate breathing pattern brings mindfulness, which can calm racing thoughts or help with sleep.
Lion’s Breath
What It Is:
Lion’s breath is an energizing breath technique from yoga that involves forcefully exhaling with a roaring sound while sticking out your tongue. It releases tension in the body, especially in the face and throat.
How to Do It:
- Sit comfortably with your back straight and your hands resting on your knees.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- As you exhale, open your mouth wide, stick your tongue out, and exhale forcefully while making a “ha” sound from the back of your throat.
- Optional: For a more intense experience, open your eyes wide and direct your gaze toward the space between your eyebrows.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
What It Helps With:
- Relieves Tension: Particularly in the face, neck, and jaw, which often hold stress.
- Boosts Energy: It releases pent-up emotions and brings vitality to the body.
- Improves Respiratory Health: The active exhalation strengthens the diaphragm and helps clear out the lungs.
- Promotes Playfulness: It adds a lighthearted element to your practice, which can break up feelings of seriousness or stagnation.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
What It Is:
This is a balancing breath technique in yoga that involves breathing alternately through each nostril. It balances the two hemispheres of the brain and the body's energy flow.
How to Do It:
- Sit comfortably with your spine straight.
- Rest your left hand on your lap and bring your right hand to your nose.
- Use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
- Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
- Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale through the right nostril.
- Close your right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.
Continue alternating for 5-10 cycles.
What It Helps With:
- Balances Energy: It harmonizes the body’s energy flow, promoting a feeling of equilibrium.
- Reduces Anxiety and Stress: It calms the mind and is often used for grounding in yoga or meditation.
- Improves Focus and Clarity: It sharpens mental focus, making it great before tasks requiring concentration.
- Cleanses the Nadis (Energy Channels): In yoga philosophy, it clears energy blockages to allow for smoother energy flow.
These three techniques—Box Breathing, Lion’s Breath, and Alternate Nostril Breathing—are powerful tools to manage stress, improve focus, and bring balance. You can incorporate them into your daily routine to promote mental clarity and physical well-being.
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