All meditative traditions use breath to create a state of relaxation, so there are many relaxation breathing exercises. One thing that they all have in common, however, is focusing intently on taking deep, slow breaths. As you become more aware of your own breathing and develop greater control over it, it will become easier and easier for you to use it to create a state of calm. Just the fact that you are taking the time to sit down and calm yourself for a few minutes also has a powerful effect.
Full Breath
The first step toward using breathing for relaxation is learning take a full, deep breath. Begin by lying on a flat surface, such as a firm mattress or an exercise mat on the floor. Breath through your nose and observe your breathing for a couple of breaths. Both your chest and your abdomen should rise and fall as you breathe. Begin moving your breathing into your abdomen so that your belly moves in and out when you breathe but your chest stays relatively still. Try to breathe deeply without straining your muscles or forcing your breath in any way. Once you are breathing deeply into your abdomen, add your chest. On an in-breath, first fill up your abdomen and then breathe into your chest. Exhale in the opposite order, letting your chest lower first and then your abdomen. Take several full breaths, breathing a little bit slower with each one. Just doing full breaths should relax you.
Basic Counting
Many meditation and relaxation techniques use counting to control and extend the breath. One simple way to use this technique is to count four beats as you inhale, four beats as you hold your breath in and four more beats as you exhale. Once you have fully exhaled, you should inhale again without holding your breath out. You can use any number you want, as long as the inhale, holding in and exhale are the same length. As your body becomes more relaxed, you can slow down your counting or add more beats to get longer, deeper breaths.
The 4-7-8 Breath
Dr. Andrew Weil advocates a slightly different technique using counting for relaxation. To use his technique, first place the tip of your tongue on the ridge right behind the top front teeth. Breathe in for four beats through your nose, hold your breath for seven beats and then exhale for eight beats through your mouth without moving your tongue. He recommends only doing this for four breaths per practice for the first month, then extending to eight breaths. According to Weil, you can practice as many times a day as you wish.
Tags: your abdomen, your chest, your breath, four beats, into your, through your, your breathing