Four breathing exercises you should be doing every day, according to an expert
Four breathing exercises you should be doing every day, according to an expert
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Breathe your way to a calmer state of mind with these simple exercises. Breathing comes naturally to us all and, unless you struggle with a condition that affects your ability to breathe easily, it’s probably not something that you spend that much time thinking about. However, if you’ve ever done any kind of exercise, felt your anxiety levels rise or put your body through any kind of heightened stress, you’ll no doubt have noticed your breathing change.
When stressed, we tend to take more shallow breaths from our upper chest and breathe more quickly. Anyone who suffers from anxiety might recognise the feeling of being caught in a loop, as worried feelings give way to rapid breathing, you may begin to feel more anxious as the feeling of control starts to slip away.
When you breathe in a quick shallow pattern – which we often do when we’re anxious – the brain receives limited oxygen, so you might feel lightheaded or overwhelmed. If you’re not able to calm yourself and slow your breathing, you might start to feel sick or even lose consciousness.
This is why breath is so central to mental health and wellbeing and why so many people are choosing to practice what’s known as breathwork – simple breathing exercises that can help limit and control stress. “The most well-documented,” explains Clements, “is the positive impact a daily breathwork practice can have on stress and anxiety, as the breath supports us in shifting the nervous system into a more regulated and balanced place.”.
