Tag: breathing techniques

Breathing for Relaxation: Simple Techniques for a Calmer Mind and Body

On By RosemaryIn Alternative Therapy, Healing, Holistic TherapyLeave a comment

Breathing is a simple and effective way to promote relaxation and calm the mind and body. By focusing on your breath, you can slow down your heart rate, reduce stress hormones, and promote feelings of relaxation and peace.

Here are some simple breathing techniques you can try:

  1. Deep breathing: This involves taking slow, deep breaths, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body. To practice deep breathing, find a quiet place to sit or lie down, and close your eyes. Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this for several minutes.
  2. Square breathing: This technique involves counting and regulating your breaths. To practice square breathing, inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts before starting again. This can help to slow down your breathing and promote feelings of relaxation.
  3. Alternate nostril breathing: This technique involves alternating between breathing in and out through each nostril. To practice alternate nostril breathing, close your right nostril with your right thumb and breathe in through your left nostril. Then close your left nostril with your right ring finger and release your thumb, breathing out through your right nostril. Repeat this pattern, breathing in and out through alternate nostrils, for several minutes.
  4. Belly breathing: This technique involves focusing on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your belly. To practice belly breathing, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe in deeply, filling your belly with air and allowing your chest to rise slightly. Exhale slowly, feeling your belly fall as you release the air. Repeat this for several minutes.

In conclusion, breathing is a simple and effective way to promote relaxation and calm the mind and body. By taking a few minutes each day to practice breathing techniques, you can improve your overall well-being and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

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Relaxation and Mental Health: How It Can Improve Your Mood and Well-Being

On By RosemaryIn Alternative Therapy, Healing, Holistic TherapyLeave a comment

Relaxation is an important aspect of mental health and well-being, and it can have a positive impact on mood and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. When we relax, our bodies and minds are able to rest, rejuvenate, and heal.

Relaxation can come in many forms, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or a warm bath. It can help to calm the mind and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. For example, deep breathing exercises can help to slow down the heart rate and reduce the levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, in the body. This can promote feelings of calm and relaxation.

Meditation, in particular, has been shown to have a significant impact on mental health. It can improve mood, increase feelings of well-being, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness meditation, which involves focusing on the present moment and accepting thoughts and feelings without judgment, has been found to be particularly effective for reducing stress and improving mental health.

Yoga and physical exercise can also be a form of relaxation, and they can help to improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise has been shown to release endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals in the brain, and to promote feelings of happiness and well-being.

In conclusion, relaxation is an important aspect of mental health and well-being, and it can have a positive impact on mood and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Whether through deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or physical exercise, finding time to relax and recharge can help to improve mental health and overall well-being.

Have you had long Covid? These breathing exercises may help you!

On By RosemaryIn Healing, meditationLeave a comment

By Soul Essence New Eltham

You can use many breathing techniques to help your lung capacity and help recover from the effects of Long Covid and other illnesses. Some are easy to learn, and some take more practice.

Deep breathing can help the following: –

  • getting oxygen deep into the lungs, which helps you clear out mucus and other fluids.
  • strengthening the diaphragm, a major respiratory muscle located under the lungs.
  • increasing lung capacity by bringing much-needed oxygen into your bloodstream.
  • helping you feel calmer, which may be beneficial for coping with long-term illness and recovery.

We are often not aware we are shallow breathing. Especially when we are concentrating at work, typing at our computer, playing computer games, and even eating our meals. Shallow breathing can increase your chances of anxiety and panic attacks, dry mouth and fatigue, aggravate existing respiratory conditions, and often leads to cardiovascular issues. Considering all this, we can see why taking part in breathing exercises is important.

Meditation is often done by putting your focus on your breathing, particularly when practising Yoga. However, we can do meditation and breathing exercises without necessarily doing Yoga. Breathing exercises may help improve the symptoms of long covid, ongoing stress and anxiety caused by lockdowns and covid symptoms.

Soul Essence runs meditations which help improve your breathing and will also work with you on a one-to-one basis to improve your breathing technique.

Book a session now!

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Here are a couple of breathing exercises you can try at home.

Diaphragmatic Breathing (also known as belly breathing when doing Qigong)

You can do this standing, sitting, or lying down

  1. Relax your face, neck, jaw and shoulder muscles through meditation or a relaxation technique.
  2. Rest the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth or behind your top front teeth.
  3. Check your back is straight; support if necessary
  4. Close your eyes if sitting or lying down; if standing, bring your eyes to a soft gaze.
  5. Breathe at your normal pace for a few minutes
  6. Place one hand on your chest and one on your lower abdomen
  7. Breathe deeply in through your nose, feeling your chest and ribs expand. You should feel your belly expand against your hand
  8. Breathe out, feeling your stomach contract inwards
  9. Breathe slowly and deeply this way for 5 to ten minutes

Humming OM when exhaling

  1. Sit upright with your back straight. Use support if necessary
  2. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth
  3. Keep your mouth/lips closed
  4. Breathe in deeply through your nose, keeping your lips closed.
  5. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
  6. Once lungs are full, exhale humming OM. Make sure you keep your lips closed.
  7. Repeat for several breaths.

If you find these helpful or want to know more about the breathing exercises and meditation I offer, please contact me.

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