Yoga Breathing Exercises To Reduce Stress

In yoga philosophy, breath plays a vital role. When you consciously breathe in and out, you practice mindfulness. In turn, it helps you to be present at the moment, and pull you out of your mental chatter.

Moreover, the breath can help you relax your mind and body, and release all the stress in-built in your being. All you need is to take 5 minutes out of your routine and gradually increase the timing of practicing breathing exercises.

Breathing Exercises To Manage Stress

Pursed Lip Breathing

When you practice the pursed-lip breathing technique, you put deliberate efforts into each breath. You might have noticed that whenever you do some physical activity, your lips automatically get pursed. It makes your breathing more aggressive in comparison to the normal breathing practice.

Start by slowly relaxing your neck and shoulder muscles. Breathe in slowly while keeping your mouth closed. Before exhaling, pucker your lips as you are about to whistle. Gently exhale until you seem out of breath. Repeat the action to loosen up your tight muscles and relieve stress.

Stomach Breathing

Your diagram can hold more air than you can imagine. Deep-sea divers practice stomach breathing to increases muscle endurance, so that, they can perform more efficiently. When you practice belly breathing, you feel relaxed and rested.

To practice stomach breathing, you need to lie down for better contraction. Keep your head on a pillow, and if necessary, you can place a pillow under your knees to support them. Gently place your one hand on your upper chest and the other by the side of your rib to feel your diaphragm. Slowly breathe in while contracting your stomach muscles while keeping your hand still on your tummy.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Also known as ‘Nadi Shodhana Pranayama’ in Sanskrit, alternate nostril breathing is one of the best breathing exercises to relieve stress with yoga. You practice breathing by consciously stopping the flow of breath from one nostril at a time and then repeat the action on the other. It helps in improving cardiovascular functioning, and lower your heart rate.

To practice this, find a comfortable place to sit. Place your right index and middle fingers on your left nostril and breathe in through your right nostril. Once you completely inhale, raise your fingers and place your right thumb on your right nostril, and breath out through your left nostril. 

Now without raising the right thumb, breath in through your left nostril, and place your fingers on your left nostril to breath out through the right one. This is one complete cycle.

Equal Breathing

Also known as ‘Sama Vritti’ in Sanskrit, this breathing technique teaches you to breathe in and out at the same length. For that matter, you can either use a timer or can count to the same number to count the time.

While practicing equal breathing, you need to be aware that you choose a breathing length that is not too short or not too long. Moreover, it is up to you whether you want to breathe through your nose or your mouth.

Sitali Breathing

It is for the people who have irregular body temperature, that keeps shifting throughout the day. When you practice sitali breathing, you gain conscious control over your high body temperature. It is a very unique breathing exercise of stress relief yoga.

To practice this, sit in a comfortable position. Open your mouth to let your tongue out. Curl your tongue such that your outer edges are flapped together. If you are not able to do this, you can simply purse your lips. Use your mouth to inhale and your nose to exhale. Breathe for about 5 minutes to calm your mind. 

Wrap Up

If you feel stressed, you can practice any breathing practice right away. Moreover, you can experiment with different breathing techniques to explore which one suits you the best. However, keep in mind to spend quality time over the one rather than hopping from one to the other.

Over time, you can witness that your reaction to various uncontrollable situations decreases, and you experience a more relaxed state of being.

Read More:- Heal Your Mental Issues With Yoga For Depression