Breathwork & Mindfulness Exercises
Breathe easy and take a break
Breathing is an extremely important part of Meditation, being mindful and relaxation in general. If you are not in a space you feel comfortable to meditate then breathing exercises and mindfulness can be a fantastic tool and alternative to total meditation. Below are some mindfulness and breathing exercises for you to try. These can be practiced at work, home, on the train etc.
Easy Mindful Tea exercise
So, it has been a busy day/morning/ afternoon. What you really need is a cup of (decaf) tea, coffee or hot chocolate and a well deserved break. You head to the kitchen and grab yourself a drink. Then you take a deep breath and follow the exercise below.
1. Find a comfortable place to sit with as little distraction as possible.
2. Physically relax your body, paying special attention to the neck and shoulders as these tend to not be as relaxed as they can be.
3. You can either choose to have your eyes open or closed at this point. (If closed then I would suggest opening them when you drink your tea so as to avoid spillages etc). But if open then don't focus on anything in particular just let the eyes rest and haze slightly.
4. When you are ready start to notice your breath. Listen and feel it as you inhale and exhale. Feel your body move with your breath and just concentrate on this for a several breaths.
5. By this time, you should be starting to feel much more calm and relaxed. If thoughts pop into your head don't worry as this happens. When you realise your mind has wandered just bring yourself back to concentrating on your breath.
6. Now drink your tea as you normally would, except this time pay attention to the tea. For example: How does it feel? What does it taste like? Is it warming you through? Is is too hot?
7. Continue to do this until you finish your tea. If your mind wanders as before just bring your mind back to your tea and the sensations it is causing you to feel. Focus on the tea and try to avoid thinking about other things.
8. Once finished take your mind back to concentrating on your breath for a few moments before you bring your attentions back to your surroundings.
Now hopefully just having that little bit of time out will enable you to feel less stressed and have given you a little bit of a time out that you without knowing so desperately needed. But, don't worry if it doesn't work first time. These things can take practice. It can take time to control a mind that is so used to going off in tangents and thinking several things at once. Remember that you need to concentrate on that exact moment and concentrate on that only. It’s all about training your brain to stay still for a few minutes.
6-4-6 Breathing
This breathing technique is great immediately after a stressful or difficult situation to calm you down and avoid dwelling on things for longer than necessary.
1. Sit comfortably with your eyes opened or closed.
2. Physically relax your body from head to toe.
3. Once you are comfortable and relaxed find your breath. Concentrate on this for a few seconds.
4. When you are ready I want you to count to six as you inhale.
5. Then hold your breath for four seconds.
6. Exhale to the count of six.
7. Repeat this for between five and eight times or until you feel sufficiently calmer.
Deep Breathing
This exercise is perfect for those times when you are feeling a little overwhelmed or anxious about something and you are struggling to control your thoughts and feelings in the immediate moment.
1. Start by finding your breath. Feel it as you inhale and exhale.
2. You may find your breath is slightly ragged or quick, don’t worry about that at this point as we are now going to calm that and your mind.
3. Now breath in slowly through the nose feeling the air fill your stomach, then your chest and then your neck.
4. Hold it for a moment.
5. Then slowly release the air feeling all of those parts deflate. Concentrate on these sensations.
6. This should be repeated several times or until your mind and breathing have both calmed.
Alternate Nose Breathing
When we find ourselves in a stressful situation many of us carry that stress and negativity with us for hours or sometimes days after the event. But a simple breathing exercise can sometimes help to relieve some if not all of that head stress instantly. Try this simple exercise and see how you feel.
1. Sit down comfortably and relax your body.
2. Bring your right hand to your face and place your right thumb on your right nostril closing it up and holding it there firmly.
3. Breathe in deeply through your left nostril.
4. After you have breathed in place your right index finger over the left nostril hold firmly and then release the right nostril. Slowly breathe out of the right nostril.
5. Repeat the above process the opposite way. So, breathe in through the right and release with the left.
6. Repeat this several times to ensure full relaxation and calm.
Note: This breathing technique should help to reduce stress, provide clarity of mind and can even help to eliminate headaches
——
Thank you for practicing these today.
About the Creator
Charlotte Fay
Rambling outdoors & writing about it. Love a good adventure. Passionate about holistic wellness & the natural environment. Studying a Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Degree. I also love to write about a variety of subjects that interest me.
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