Deep breathing exercises help you maintain balance, equanimity, and peace of mind.
November 1, 2018
Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
www.mymobileadventure.com
I signed up for a 10-day yoga pass at the Golden Yogi Yoga and Meditation Wellness Clinic in Takapuna.
Erin O’Hara, the owner and instructor, greeted me with a big smile and a cup of tea. “Have you done a kundalini yoga class before?”
“Maybe? I don’t really know the difference between vinyasa, hatha, and kundalini yoga.”
“You’d know if you have done it before. It’s a lot of chanting, meditation, and deep breathing.”
At the end of class, Erin and I chatted. I mentioned feeling light headed during some of the exercises.
“You are breathing from the top of your lungs, not from your diaphragm. That’s why you felt dizzy during class.”
Deep abdominal breathing slows your heartbeat and quiets your stress response.
How to breathe deeply.
- Set a timer for two minutes. This allows your high-alert system to relax and to know it won’t miss something important. Close your eyes and notice your breathing.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Take a deep breath in. The hand on your abdomen should rise higher than the one on your chest. It indicates that your diaphragm is pulling air into the lower lobes of your lungs, where the greatest amount of blood flows. Exhale twice as long as you inhale.
- Watch YouTube videos of deep breathing exercises to improve your technique.
I’ve committed to stop taking sips of breathe. Will you join me?
~~~~~~
Increased awareness of your breathing improves your health, confidence, and stress level.
~~~~~~
