Yoga has diverse breathing techniques, from activating ones to calming down ones. Already in a few minutes you can detect an effect, let go of stress and calm down your mind. Feel the relaxation expanding in your body, or the rejuvenating energy.
calming down by your breathing
On this page you can join some breathing techniques that help you calm down. I describe 5 breathing techniques that all have a calming effect. Try them all or start right away with the technique that appeals most to you.
breathing technique 1: following your breathing
contra-indications: none.
benefits: calming.
how to do this breathing technique: Focus your attention to your breath and without steering into any direction, follow your breathing. You can focus on the pace, the rythm, the movement, the place where your breath mostly goes or the coolness along your nostrils at the inhale and warmth at the exhale.
breathing technique 2: abdominal breathing
contra-indications: none.
benefits: calming.
how to do this breathing technique: Focus on your breath. At an inhale, relax your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles, and push your diaphragm down. Your belly will then expand. Let it expand to all directions; not only to the front, but also to the sides and even a little to the back-side. At the exhale, relax your diaphragm, and then your belly will automatically come back inwards. Follow the movement of your breathing in your belly: expanding to all sides at the inhale, and coming back naturally at the exhale.
breathing technique 3: prolonged breathing out
contra-indications: none.
benefits: calming and you can imagine that you let go of stress on each exhale.
how to do this breathing technique: Focus on your breath. Inhale deeply and then let your exhale take around twice as long as your breathing in. Let the rhythm easily and graduately become ‘even’: the whole inhale and exhale in the same pace. That way, you breath the same amount of air in at the beginning of your inhale as at the end of your inhale. Also for the exhale: let go of the same amount of air during the whole exhale, so the pace is the same, the whole breathing.
Breathing technique 4: full yogic breathing
contra-indications: none.
benefits:calming and also rejuvenating. It improves your breathing capacity. You train yourself to fully use your lung capacity and to let go of stress. br/>how to do this breathing technique: First, let your inhale move your lower belly, then let it move your upperbelly, then your chest. Inhale: relax your abdominals and pelvic floor and push your diaphragm downwards. Your belly will expand. Then also use the muscles in between your ribs, so that you have a maximum of space in your chest. Then let your breath also come in the highest tops of the lungs: raise your shoulder a little. Exhale: relax your shoulders, then chest and diaphragm and squeeze your abdominals and pelvic floor.
Breathing technique 5: Brahmari – humming breath
This breathing technique is called Brahmari, and you will make the sound of a humming bee.
contra-indications: none.
benefits:Calming for the mind and also vitalizing. It opens the heart.
how to do this breathing technique: Calmly breath in and out. On each exhale, hum. mmmmmm. Relax your jaws, your face and your throat.
Like it?
Join a retreat, in which we also work with breathing techniques. You are welcome at yoga and meditation weekends, one of the summer retreats or the retreats around Christmas or in the new year retreat
Would you let me know how these breathing techniques work out for you?
I am curious if these breathing techniques also help you to easily and quickly calm down. Please give your reaction below, I am looking forward to read it.