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13 Breathing Exercises Give Quick Peace, Energy and Boost Health | Know How

How often do you notice your breathing pattern? Take a moment and analyze your breathing. In this hustle and bustle of life, we barely notice our breathing and it is quite amazing to know that breathing exercises can contribute wonderfully in easing ourselves and feeling de-stressed. A deep, concentrated breathing exercise is one of the best ways to relax and unwind. With effective breathing techniques, we are controlling our mind and, simultaneously improving our ability to augment awareness.

Scientifically speaking, oxygen is alkaline and every time we inhale oxygen, our body’s alkalinity and acidic levels are balanced, thus, naturally curing many health conditions. Breathing right also keeps the negative thoughts at bay, enhancing towards an optimistic and better you.

A relaxed mind and tranquil self is just a breath away, with these quick and inexpensive breathing exercises.

Full Breath Retention: Kumbhaka Pranayama

Certain yogic traditions are highly effective in building strong energies inside you. This practice involves reckoning our breath while we retain it for a moment of time. Also, a way to clear your air around you, Kumbhaka Pranayama, is a practice that requires a lot of patience and favorably effective to your air pressures.

The technique:

Sit in the meditative posture of Sukhasana. Keep your body upright and your spine, straight, with eyes closed. Give a small exhale, then start inhaling rhythmically until you feel the sense of fullness in the chest. Then preserve the breath for about 10 seconds and exhale naturally without any jerks. Repeat for 15 mins.

Equal Breathing: Sama Vriti

Another practice to calm your mind is Sama Vriti. A relatively easy yogic practice which can be done on-the-go. Even a 1-minute of Sama Vriti can give you highly effective results. Calming the stress hormones and delivering alertness are the basic impacts of the practice.

The technique:

It’s a two-fold technique. First, count your normal breath. Say, you inhale in 4 counts and exhale in 3 counts. Secondly, lengthen your exhale count. Now count inhaling in 4 and exhaling in another 4. This way you are equating your breaths. You may increase your counts as per your level but do not stress yourself.

Abdominal Breathing

Did you know? That most of the diseases and discomforts of the body start from the abdomen. According to the Holy texts of Hindus- the Upanishads, and Vedas, abdomen has an immense power to smoothen the systems of life. The diaphragm, which is located below the chest, at the navel region, holds the navel chakra. The yogis, after great researches on the yogic tradition, have found the Chest breathing to be irrational and it just adds up to hypertension and stress. Therefore, abdominal breathing escalates your health in the correct way.

The technique:

Sit in a cross-legged position that is Sukhasana. Firstly, follow your breathing, do you breathe more through chest or stomach? Now put your right hand on the navel and left one on the chest. Start breathing provided your right hand is moving more and more outwards that is your stomach area is blowing up and chest is relatively moving less outwards. Follow this for a few minutes.

Alternate Nostril Breathing: Nadi Shodhana

Alternate Nostril Breathing Nadi Shodhana- breathing exercises It is a great way to filter your breath. A technique to calm down your five senses and equalize the right and left side of your brain.

The technique:

Sit up on your knees, gently block your left nostril and breathe in elongated with your right nostril, then breathe out through the left nostril, blocking the right nostril. Repeat it for 10 odd minutes.

Skull Shining Breath: Kapalbhati

When we talk about Kapalbhati, it is considered to be the lifeline for a pure and healthy being. Yoga traditions have been devised in such a way that is inclusive in our day to day lives. Your worrisome and busy schedule can be incorporated with the Kapalbhati practice without taking much time. Kapalbhati is a detoxifying yogasana that has dominant positive effects on your body.

The Technique:

Sit in the cross-legged position. Inhale deeply filling up your lungs. Now, exhale rapidly moving your navel backward, as close to the spine as possible. Do this short breath exhalation for about 15-20 times with the sound of hiss throwing out. Now relax for some time and do the second round of 20 exhalations.

Guided visualization

With so much happening in our lives and pretty much more distractions, guided visualization is your way out for a relaxed and rejuvenated mind. This practice offers a peaceful time to yourself with concentrations to oneself in an utmost serene manner. Try out this practice in a quiet place with a fragrant candle or a soothing incense burning.

The Technique:

You may lie down or sit with your legs spread outwards and spine straightened. Follow and reckon every breath of your body. Now visualize a natural surrounding or a pure white light or anything that calms you down. Regulate your breath and the picture in mind and slowly feel the peacefulness.

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Progressive relaxation therapy

A tension relieving technique invented by Dr. Edmund Jacobson, focuses on tightening the body muscles and instantaneously relaxing them coupled with breathing in and out respectively. This therapy is great in removing anxiety and lowering down the Blood pressure.

The Technique:

Lie down and focus on your breathing. Start with your toes and feel a sense of tightening and relaxing right away. Slowly move upwards to feet to calves to knees up till your head. Inhaling and exhaling together will give a sense of calmness thus dismissing of any negative thoughts or emotions.

Breath of Victory: Ujjayi Pranayama

There is not one breathing technique in Yoga, but, innumerable ways to breathe out your mind and soul. Ujjayi breathing is a breathing technique to warm your body from inside. The name, Ujjayi itself means ‘Victory” or “to conquer”, simply to conquer your mind and bring total awareness. It is a yoga as well as a Tao technique.

The technique:

The asana is practiced in the “Sukhasana” position. Relax your face and jaw. Deeply inhale through your nose, blowing up your belly and steadily exhale through the nose with the mouth slightly open together with slight “aaahhh” sound, more sounding like ocean waves. Remember to contract your throat while inhaling.

Bhramari: Bee Breathing

A pranayama that soothes your nervous system and a multitude of positive effects on your throat, mouth, glands, and mind. Practicing this breathing activates every nerve inside your brain. The bee sound, “hmmm” impacts the senses and revives your soul. The anxiety and tensions are driven away freshening up your thoughts.

The Technique:

Sit in Sukhasana or cross-legged position with a relaxed mind and body. Shut your Ears with thumbs; press your forehead with the index finger; your eyes with middle and ring finger while pinky finger just above your lips pressing it gently. Begin by inhaling deeply, filling up the belly and exhaling with a delicate “hmmm” sound. Keep the sound soft and feel its vibrations.

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Three-part breathing: Dirga Breathing

A regular Pranayama or yogic breathing can balance your mind, body, and soul. Dirga Pranayama is one such practice that helps you focus on your inner energies uniting your mind and body with your soul. A relatively longer technique but the most calming and enduring one.

The technique:

As the name, three-part breathing, is done in three parts

Part 1: Lie down in a relaxed position with your knees bend and feet flat on the mat. Inhale and exhale naturally for a few counts. Then, start inhaling deeply filling your belly up like a balloon and exhaling gradually through your nose, emptying the belly of air. Repeat for five counts.

Part 2: Continue with inhaling deeply, filling the belly. Take some more breath and draw into your chest expanding it a little. Now slowly exhale through the nose, emptying your chest first and then your belly. Repeat this for another five counts.

Part 3: Take another deep breath to blow up your belly then sip in a little more air to fill your chest and another sip of breath to widen your upper chest, that is, around the Heart area. Then slowly exhale through the nose, emptying first your upper chest then the chest and finally your belly. Repeat this for five counts. This is the 3-part breathing technique.

Pursed-lip Breathing

An exercise that keeps your airways open, longer enough, making additional air to flow in and out of your lungs adding to boost up your alertness.

The technique:

Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth, keeping it pressed and blowing out twice as long enough.

Lion’s Breath

As the name says, Lion’s breath is a pranayama technique which is fierce and powerful. This technique removes anger and all possible negative energies resting inside you. The yogic name of this practice is called “Simhasana” and is highly adept in instilling the feelings of courageousness and confidence.

The Technique:

Take the posture of Vajrasana that is, sit on your heels with the feet facing upwards and your sit bones resting on your heels. Make sure your head, neck, and torso are in a straight line and hands on your knees with fingers spread wide open. As you inhale in length, stretch yourself up, face upwards and stretch your arms. Then exhale strongly with your mouth wide open, tongue out and a wild roar of “aaahhh” sound.

Bellows Breath: Bhrastika Pranayama

Bhrastika Pranayama is another very effective yogic breathing practice. Indulges in boosting energy and revival of your senses, this practice is the hub of power, nevertheless, leaving you stress-free and calm in the end. The use of abdomen and diaphragm to blow air in and out of your body is the most sufficed practice of every yogic way.

The Technique:

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Relax by taking a few little breaths. Then take a deep exhale, contracting your abdomen quickly and inhale a short breath from the diaphragm. The practice is quite challenging and needs a lot of concentration in the beginning.