From reducing blood pressure to improving your sex life, how five simple breathing techniques could boost your health
People often search far and wide for cures to combat stress and other health worries, but something as simple as breathing could be the answer to a lot of their problems
NEED a cure for insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, high blood pressure or bad sex? Then take a deep breath and let’s get started.
Breathing is the hottest new health and well-being trend. Expert Rebecca Dennis of Breathing Tree workshops and retreats, said: “Proper breathing can help you on an emotional, mental and physical level.
“Research shows that the average teenager and adult is only using a third of their respiratory system. This is learned behaviour because we hold our breath to cope with emotion and stress and over time our breathing muscles tighten.
Holding your breath because you’re stressed is massively counter-intuitive. The best way to combat stress is by taking deep, diaphragmatic breaths. That is the most important one to master.”
AMY JONES reveals the top breathing exercises.
Boost memory
Alternate nostril breathing can help promote whole brain development and stave off lack of concentration.
1. Close your lips and relax the tongue.
2. Use your left index finger to close the right nostril, and breathe in through the left nostril.
3. Use your left thumb to close the left nostril as you release the index finger and breathe out through the right nostril.
4. Maintain your hand placement and breathe in through the right nostril.
5. Once again, close the right nostril and open and breathe out through the left.
6. Switch your fingers and breathe in again through the left nostril.
7. Repeat these steps for at least a minute for the best results.
Combat stress
Deep belly breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness.
1. Relax your jaw, face and shoulders.
2. Keep your spine long, feel your sitting bones on your seat and put feet flat on the ground.
Hold your head in a neutral position, as if there is a thread at the centre of your skull holding it up towards the sky. Then allow your throat to relax.
3. Rest your hands on your lower body so you can feel the breath expanding and moving through your body.
4. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Let the air flow as you inhale and expand your belly – expanding the sides and lower ribs, filling the diaphragm, back and lower back. Allow the deep inhale to push your belly out.
5. Let the breath go with a gentle sigh through the nose or mouth on the exhale and feel the belly coming in.
Do not force the air out. Instead, simply allow it to flow in and out of the body.
6. Repeat this for ten to 20 times and notice how you feel.
Improve sex life
Breathing together can create better intimacy and closeness. Holding your breath as you get closer to orgasm is a pretty common instinct, but doing so can limit the amount of new oxygen flowing into your system, which may be counter-productive to the entire point.
1. Start by taking deep breaths in and out together to increase blood flow and intimacy.
2. When you feel yourself getting closer to climax, continue to take deep, full breaths.
3. When your orgasm begins, try your best to continue the breath and relax your entire body into it. It may feel counter-intuitive at first but try to come back to that open-mouth belly breathing and keep relaxing through it. Not only is this likely to improve your orgasm but it will also make you feel closer to your partner.
Aid sleep
Help quieten your mind with the 4-7-8 exercise, a natural tranquilliser for the nervous system.
1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making sure you create a “whoosh” sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
3. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath.
4. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times, for a total of four breaths.
Reduce blood pressure
Breathing deeply and slowly can improve your heart rate, which leads to blood pressure reduction.
1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
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3. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
4. Breathe out through pursed lips, as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, then use it to push all the air out.
5. Do this breathing three to ten times. Take your time with each breath.
- Rebecca’s’ book And Breathe is available on Amazon, £10.30.