Practice conscious breathing in nature
Conscious breathing is key to improving your physical, emotional and mental health. Learning to work with your breath will bring long lasting benefits.
The first step in breath training is to become aware of your breathing pattern. There are five characteristics to notice:
- depth: is your breath shallow or deep?
- texture: is it smooth or bumpy?
- flow: is it effortless or do you make an effort to breathe in?
- location: is it felt more in the upper chest or in the lower ribs?
- length: is the in-breath even in length with the out-breath? does the breath feel short or long?
The second step is to become aware of how your breath feels and looks in different positions. For example, when you sit, the movement of the breath will be mostly felt and seen in the lower ribs; when you lie on your back, the movement will be mostly felt and seen in the abdomen; when you lie on your belly, the movement of the breath will be felt in the low back.
The third step is to practice conscious breathing regularly using the above information. For example, let's say you are sitting at your desk; take a moment to pay attention to the flow of your breath. Is it smooth, deep, even, shallow, short? Where do you feel it? Just notice for a moment. Now, place your hands in the lower ribs and focus on bringing the breath there, so that you can feel the movement of the ribs under your hands. Allow the rest of your body to relax and follow your breath.
The key in breath training is to be patient and practice it regularly throughout your day. It is like learning to ride a bicycle, you have to continue practicing until the body takes over and you ride automatically. Nevertheless, even though breathing is natural and autonomous, breath training directs the breath in such a way that it benefits the nervous system, aids in stress management and calms the mind.
If you would like to be notified when similar articles on Healthy Lifestyle are published, you may click on the subscribe icon at the top of this page. And please feel free to share your experience in the comments section below, as you practice conscious breathing.
Other articles you may enjoy on Healthy Lifestyle:
Breathing is the foundation of physical health
Breathing is the foundation of emotional and mental health
Improve breathing by using the neti pot
Comments