Stop Huffing, Start Breathing!

Since I am a yoga teacher, one of my best methods for calming students down and preparing them for a physical yoga practice is to do a breathing exercise. I call the breath Your Best Friend in times of stress. If you can notice your anxiety to begin with, it's much easier to begin implementing a breathing practice, so I recommend learning to recognize stress when it starts. What are the signs of stress? Rapid breathing, inability to sit still, tightness in the chest, worry, being in a hurry, high blood pressure, snappy temperament, etc.

Here's the easiest way to calm yourself: You can do this sitting up or lying down, either way. If you are sitting up, sit tall with shoulders up and back (good posture). Ground down through your sitting bones and move up through the crown of the head. If lying down, bend your knees and start by placing your hands on your low belly.

Begin with a deep exhale and then on the inhale, release the low belly, then expand through the ribcage, then expand into the upper chest. Exhale slowly and evenly until you have moved all the air out that you possibly can without forcing it. Repeat for several rounds until you are so concentrated on the breathing that you begin to notice your mind calming down. Your breath should be about 2 to 3 times its normal length when breathing naturally. It takes a while to master this breathing pattern, but once you do, it can bring you from utter chaos into momentary bliss.

Did you know people sell CDs that cost big bucks for this simple little exercise? And you got it here for FREE! Do it once a day for a week and see if you don't notice a difference.