Do you ever feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and like you can’t find the right direction to take? More often than not, our daily lives are filled with business and bustle, and our hard work leaves us drained. But taking a moment and digging deep to find ourselves is necessary in order to move forward in life. Mindful breathing is a powerful tool you can use to find a moment of peace and clarity. In this article, we will look at how harnessing the power of your breath can help you reconnect with yourself and find equilibrium.
1. Discover the Miracle of Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing has the ability to transcend the normal experience of taking breaths through hasty, sometimes unconscious breaths and take us closer to a deep mental state of awareness. Mindful breathing can be practiced and enjoyed no matter your experience level.
First, find a comfortable, seated position that is free of distractions. This could be on a chair, cushion or even the floor. Close your eyes, if desired, and become aware of your breath. Observe the length and pace of your inhale and exhale.
Second, allow yourself to sink into your breath. Don’t judge or control it, just observation. Mindfully bring your awareness to the physical sensations of breathing:
- Notice the air entering through your nose
- The sensation of air filling your lungs
- The feeling of your chest expanding and contracting
- The breath as it leaves your mouth, nostrils or both
Third, as you observe, allow yourself to relax further into your breath. As a gentle reminder, take a few moments to focus on the rhythm of your breath. No matter how hectic your mind or schedule, the steadiness of your breath can bring your focus back to the present moment. Taking time to do this can be incredibly calming and healing. So, when thoughts arise, don’t get frustrated, recognize them and then come back to your breath.
Finally, observe how your body and mind feel after a few moments of mindful breathing. Through practice, this sensation will become more and more familiar. You can come back to this mindful practice again and again whenever you need a compassionate pause in your day.
2. Reap the Benefits of Breathwork
With more and more people turning to mindfulness practices as an aid to everyday life, Breathwork is an increasingly easy-to-learn and incredibly beneficial form of mind-body therapy. The practice is simple but powerful, allowing us to profoundly heal, unlock our true potential and find a deep sense of grounding. Here are a few of the main benefits of Breathwork:
- Deep Relaxation: During a Breathwork session, we take deeper and fuller breaths. This stimulates the body’s natural relaxation response and helps us let go of holding patterns.
- Better Clarity: Taking deeper breaths stimulates the flow of oxygen and energy in the body. This can help us tune in to our intuition so we can find clarity and answers that we need.
- Empowerment: Breathwork helps us build trust in ourselves, become more aware of our emotions and embrace our internal journey.
- Self-Love: Breathwork helps us to separate from our thoughts and identify any areas of our lives that need more compassion and kindness.
The most important thing to remember about Breathwork is to stay open to the experience. Let go and don’t worry about how you’re doing. While practice will help, intentional breathing is the key to achieving the desired results.
Also, as with any other mind-body practice, Breathwork has its limits. Before taking part in a Breathwork session, it’s important to consult with a professional to ensure that the practice is right for you.
Treating yourself with Breathwork can make all the difference in your well-being and overall lifestyle. The daily practice can have long-lasting effects by helping to decrease stress and tension while building awareness, strength and resilience.
3. Master Simple Mindful Breathing Techniques
Mindful breathing is an absolutely essential practice for calming and centering yourself. Taking a few moments each day to practice mindful breathing can reduce stress, clear your mind, and help you feel more connected to your own inner self. Here’s a few simple breathing techniques you can master at home:
- 4-7-8 Breathing: Start by placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Gently close your mouth, and then exhale through your nose while counting to 4. Now, inhale through your nose for a count of 7, and exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle 3-4 times and feel your stress and tension diminish.
- Calm Breath: This is a simple exercise to help calm an agitated mind and body. Begin by mentally focusing on your in-breath and out-breath and slowly counting to 10. Feel your body relax as you exhale and then mentally let the next breath come as it will. Repeat this multiple times, paying attention to the feeling of relaxation that is slowly radiating from your body.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing is a more active form of breathing and is used to help strengthen the lungs and calm the nervous system. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Now, take a deep breath and notice the hand that is higher – this is your chest. Now, focus on sending your breath to the hand that is lower, on your belly. As you focus on this deep and relaxing breath, your chest should remain still.
- Bellows Breath: Also called Bhastrika Pranayama in Sanskrit, this breathing technique helps to increase oxygenation to the brain and calm it. To begin, take a few slow deep breaths while visualizing the air entering and expanding your rib cage. Then, inhale and exhale rapidly and forcefully through your nose for about 15-20 breaths. Feel the oxygen flow throughout your body and disperse any negativity.
By incorporating any of these simple breathing techniques into your daily routine, you will experience improved mental clarity and overall wellbeing. 30 minutes of mindful breathing each day can even have an effect on the physical body, such as improved digestion and blood circulation. So what are you waiting for? Try these simple mindful breathing techniques today and benefit from the gifts of inner peace and clarity.
4. The Healing Power of Your Breath
The power of mindful breathing techniques shouldn’t be underestimated as it can have a profound healing effect on both our mind and body. When we take the time to focus solely on our breath, it helps slow our heart rate, lowering the stress hormone cortisol—something that could usually take months or even years to achieve.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of mindful breathing exercises:
- Strengthening the immune system to reduce the risk of disease and infection
- Reducing pain and discomfort caused by pain sensations
- Increasing relaxation and reducing anxiety
- Increasing focus and clarity
You don’t need any special equipment to practice mindful breathing; all you need is your own body and a quiet place. To begin, find a comfortable seated position and start focusing on your breath—slow, deep inhales and exhales through your nose. The ancient practice of Pranayama consists of several breathing exercises that are designed to help us connect more deeply to our body and emotions. You can try these exercises using an audible breath, counting the breaths, or focusing on a certain emotion or mantra.
Another easy and effective exercise is Alternate Nostril Breathing, where you simply plug one nostril with your thumb and inhale through the other nostril, then switch sides and exhale through the original nostril. Do this for at least 10 breaths, and pay attention to how it affects you. Are you feeling more relaxed? Are you having any physical sensations in your body? Simply observe these reactions without judgment.
Mindful breathing techniques are a wonderful way to cultivate awareness and compassion for ourselves and to create internal harmony. Try to make a commitment to practice breathing exercises each day and experience the healing power your breath could bring.
Take the time to harness the power of mindful breathing. Connecting with your breath can bring about many surprising changes such as improved mental clarity, relaxation and a sense of connectedness to yourself, your own body, and the world around you. As you explore and understand mindful breathing, don’t be afraid to have fun with it. Taking the time to learn and practice mindful breathing can be a life-altering and profoundly rewarding endeavor.
