Many of us mention using breathing exercises and/or mindful breathing to deal with (to often prevent or to dissipate) tension and/or anxiety. We might also clear our minds and "center" ourselves with breathing exercises.

I am hoping we will all share more about our favorite breathing exercises within this thread.

If you have a technique you'd like to share, please consider sharing in a post here.

I'd like to share the 4-7-8 Breath as explained and taught by Andrew Weil, M.D. on this video: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/VDR00112...nstration.html

I have found this an amazingly powerful breathing exercise.
I have also found this exercise lives up to the claims made by Dr. Weil. With practice, my blood pressure and heart rate have dropped. I can also quickly calm these vital signs while also shifting my mental state, if/when I so desire. I can easily find a place of peacefulness (and bliss) after using this technique daily as described in the video. I hope you will consider trying this exercise.

I'd like to try some of the techniques our NT friends find helpful.

I hope you will consider sharing your breathing exercises with the NT community.

Joyful Blessings,


DejaVu

Mine is probably pretty similar that the one that Dr Weil has recommended:

(1) Sit in a chair, feet, no shoes, flat on the floor (grounding!).

(2) Fingers from both hands on your stomach around your navel, just touching.

(3) Breathe in deeply so your stomach expands and your fingers move apart.

(4) Count to five.

(5) Breathe out so your stomach collapses and your fingers touch again.

(6) Count to five.

(7) Repeat (2) to (6) for about 15 minutes.

I don't know how good the evidence is but I have heard that panic attacks can be triggered by shallow breathing, leading to abnormally high blood CO2 levels. I am unsure about the physiology but this one works for me.

The Relationship Between Breathing and Anxiety
Robert Litman, of The Breathable Body

https://youtu.be/WhEEtWNbLJ4

Very interesting video. Approx. 35 minutes.
How to correctly balance blood gasses.

"The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating." Robert Litman

Breathing exercises also taught.

I found this very educational.

Enjoy!
DejaVu

Breathwalking with Dr. Jim Nicolai

'Breathwalking is based on a Kundalini yoga technique, and involves making strong, purposeful strides in rhythm with breathing..."

https://youtu.be/TGkHVEnpVoY

I do Dr. Weil's technique. I find it helpful for the GI
spasms I am prone to.

I do about 30-40 minutes of stretching and breathing work every morning. Included is Tapping which I've been using for some yrs,

Free Videos - Tapping.com

I like Brad Yates video and I feel my days are not complete if I don't Tap.

Brad Yates
- YouTube

Releasing Emotional Pain - Tapping with Brad Yates - YouTube

Very similar to the breathing forms we do in Taichi(Qigong) practice.

My best breathing work is mouth closed, long slow breath in thru nose and long slow breath out thru mouth. I do this maybe 10 times or so...slow and long. You can do this anywhere, laying in bed, sitting on chair.