There are several breathing techniques and exercises prescribed by multiple Yoga and meditation Practitioners. If you are new to the practice or want a quick way to calm your mind, here’s a simple breathing technique that helps me.
Before you begin this simple breathing exercise make sure to be in a noise free environment with clean air to breath. It wouldn’t be a great idea to do this near a busy road.
Step 1: Take a deep breath. Fill your lungs to as much extent as possible. It should take around 4 seconds
Step 2: Hold your breath for around 4 seconds (not more)
Step 3: Gently release your breath. Exhale as slowly as possible.
| Step Number | Step | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inhale | 4 seconds |
| 2 | Hold your breath | 4 seconds |
| 3 | Exhale | 8 seconds |
This exercise should be done for around 5 minutes. You’ll notice the difference. I’ve personally seen my heart rate come lower as I begin this exercise.
Tip: Make sure that you are focusing on your breathing while doing this.
The beauty of this exercise is that you can do this almost anywhere. You can do this in your home, in a park, or even in your office. Ideally if you are about to do something important such as get in to an interview, or make a speech, doing this right before can ensure that you do the activity with a perfectly calm mind.
Try this exercise and let me know the effects in the comments below.