Simple breathing techniques for stress relief
How we breathe is something that (rightly!) seems to be getting more and more attention these days. Much of this attention seems to be focused on ‘transformational’ styles of Breathwork, variously called Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB), Wim Hof breath, Holotropic Breathwork, etc. This type of Breathwork has a profound ability to change our states and has been a huge part of my personal healing journey. and it is something I will deal with more in later posts. But in my opinion before we get into these types of Breathwork it’s a really good idea to go back to the very basics of breathing, what you might call ‘functional’ or ‘everyday’ breathing.
Because the truth is, many of us are breathing badly. That might be breathing through the mouth rather than the nose, not breathing deeply enough or breathing too fast. I am not going to go into the science of it all here (if you are interested then the book Breathe by James Nestor has lots of interesting data and case histories), other than to say that ultimately poor breathing habits leaves us highly likely to have poorly regulated nervous systems, meaning the way we breathe can be contributing to the stress, tiredness or anxiety we feel in our daily lives.
But - respiration being one of the bodily systems we can control - it doesn’t have to be this way! Outlined below are three simple breathing techniques, to help bring regulation and calm across the day (will try to add a video at some point as well). The idea is not that we are constantly thinking about how we breathe but that by adding these short practices into our daily routine we may begin to teach our bodies how to breathe better and, ultimately, how to spend more time in the ‘rest or relax’ state of being and less in the ‘fight or flight’ which bad breathing can keep us locked into.
It might sound simplistic but I believe that if you can make these practices part of your daily routine for only a few minutes each day, you will bring significant changes to some everyday stresses and strains you might be facing. As ever, please let me know your thoughts, reflections or other ideas in the comments. :)
Coherent Breathing - this is the practice I recommend anyone starts with. Very simply, it’s a 5-6 second inhale through the nose, and then 5-6 seconds exhale also through the nose. Even 2 minutes of this practice can be amazing to help bring calm and to remind the body of how to breathe better. I do a few minutes of this breath every morning and I am certain it helps bring more peace into my days.
Box Breathing - this is good for general relaxation and awareness. The four sides of the breath are the same length - 4 seconds inhale, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds exhale, 4 seconds hold, again all through the nose. You can also increase the length of each side if you want to go a bit longer/deeper. I use this practice during the day if I am feeling some tension or unease as a way to bring me back into calm and presence.
4/7/8 Breathing - this is a nice one for deeper relaxation, I often use it to help me get to sleep. Simply 4 seconds inhale, 7 seconds hold, 8 seconds exhale.
