Breathing Technique for Stress or Anxiety
Try this great Alternative Nostril Breathing tool for alleviating stress, overwhelm or anxiety;
What are the benefits?
With just a few minutes of alternate nostril breathing, you can restore balance and ease in the mind and body. Sometimes when we feel frazzled or find ourselves doing too many things at once, it’s because energetically, we are out of alignment. This breath is great for restoring that necessary balance. In addition to calming the mind and reversing stress, alternate nostril breathing also:
Improves our ability to focus the mind
Supports our lungs and respiratory functions
Restores balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and clears the energetic channels
Rejuvenates the nervous system
Removes toxins
Settles stress
How to do it;
Sit comfortably, making sure your spine is straight and your heart/chest is open, shoulders are down and relaxed.
Relax your left palm comfortably into your lap and bring your right hand just in front of your face.
With your right hand, bring your pointer finger and middle finger to rest between your eyebrows, lightly using them as an anchor. The fingers we’ll be actively using are the thumb and ring finger.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose.
Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly to count of 5
Close the left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are held closed; retain your breath at the top of the inhale for a count of 5.
Open your right nostril and release the breath slowly through the right side to the count of 5. Pause briefly at the bottom of the exhale.
Inhale through the right side to the count of 5.
Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb) for a count of 5. Open your left nostril and release breath to the count of 5 through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.
Then start the process again repeating steps 5-9. (Repeat 5-10 cycles, allowing your mind to follow your inhales and exhales.)
If you are feeling anxious and stressed at the moment, listening to a hypnotherapy audio MP3 daily will help you to feel calmer and able to cope at this difficult time. Why not try my Relax Now recording! See here for more details and to get your copy.
Watch a video on Tips to Manage Anxiety & Stay Calm on my YouTube channel here.
