8 exercises to practice conscious breathing

The breathing it is an automatic process that we start at birth and that is not interrupted until the last breath of life. Nourishes the cells of the body with oxygen, but if we do it properly, the body “recharges” at all levels.

Unlike the heartbeat, we can “play” with the breath (retaining it, lengthening it…) and these games become a powerful tool available to everyone to achieve well-being and consciousness.

“Being aware of the act of breathe is of great physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefit,” explains Michael Sky, author of breathing. Expand your power and energy (Ed. Edaf).

We breathe 23,000 times a day, let’s take advantage of it by making our breathing more conscious!

The conscious breathing It is not only a fashion that runs through the yoga rooms. Some specialists such as Belisa Vranich, clinical psychologist and author of breathe (Ed. Hay House UK), teaches breathing techniques to firefighters and people with risky professions so that they can controlling stress.

Wim Hof ​​has patented a method in which breathing (along with cold showers) help to resist infection and fight inflammation. It has been confirmed by researchers from the Radboud University Nijmegen (Holland).

Conscious breathing is used to relieve pain, insomnia, digestive problems, high blood pressure and above all, low energy. Also to improve concentration, creativity and cognitive performance.

You can check its power by practicing only with these 8 conscious breathing exercises:

1. Breathing to focus your mind and eliminate tension

This exercise proposed by michael sky is perfect to start a batch of breaths: Gets attention to focus only on breathing.

Breathe with all the softness as possible, quietly.Take long, shallow breaths through your nose in and out while imagining that your lungs, just below, are a tray full of ashes. You can only breathe carefully and gently so as not to raise the slightest draft of air or produce the slightest sound vibration that could spread the ashes.let the body relax: Imagine that the slightest tension could scatter the ashes.Allow the mind to calm down and the thoughts are silent: imagine that the slightest mental agitation could spread the ashes.Continue to take long, slow breaths that do not cause agitationthat generate peace, while your eyes close gently.

2. Breathing to stimulate memory

Use this exercise when you have forgotten something (a name, a data…). It will come to your mind as if by magic!

fill yourself with air and hold itLet your belly relax and inflate. The shoulders lose tension and slacken. hold your breath as long as you can.Then let it go slowly and repeat three times. If at any time you find it distressing, let go and start over.

3. Breathing to fully relax

Breathe in through your nose and expel the air through your mouth. At the end of the exhalation, pause and wait patiently until the body begins the next inhalation. Each breath through the nose is slow and quiet.Upon reaching the maximum point of inhalationslowly exhale through the open mouth.Then, without closing the mouth and with the jaw relaxedpause and consciously wait until the body needs to breathe again.After two or three breathsallow the time between one breath and another to be a moment of total relaxation for your body.Then, breathe for a specific area of ​​your body that you need to relax especially. Breathe in this rhythm several times.

The key to pausing between two breaths is stay aware and focused for if the mind wanders it easily returns to its contracted pattern.

4. Breathing to control stress and sleep well

Dr. Andrew Weil advises Repeat this exercise twice a day.

Place the tip of the tongue on the palatebehind the upper incisor teeth.Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.Hold your breath for 7 seconds.Exhale through the mouth pursing the lips and making noise (as if you were blowing) for 8 seconds. Take four breaths.

5. Exercise to oxygenate each cell

This exercise is a proposal Wim Hoff for cleanse the body of carbon dioxide accumulated and oxygenate, above all, the nervous system. The only drawback when the body is not used to such an amount of oxygen is the possible hyperventilation. If this happens, it is enough to return to breathe at a normal rate.

Do this exercise when you get up or on an empty stomach.

sit comfortably with a straight back.inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth in short bursts, but powerful, as if you were inflating a balloon. Repeat 30 times with your eyes closed. be prudent because you may feel a slight dizziness. After, inhale and fill your lungs without forcingLet the air out and hold it for as long as you can without becoming uncomfortable. Then, take in as much air as possible again and, feeling the expansion of your chest, hold your breath for about 10 seconds. With this you have completed one cycle whole. You can repeat the whole cycle three timesstarting with the round of 30 in which you inflate the balloon and ending with the inspiration with retention of 10 seconds. Finally, breathe calmly and quietly.

6. Breath of the lion to do with children

Practice it if you tend to force your voice or when you have a sore throat.

As you inhale, tilt your head slightly back. when you breathe out, you bring it forward, open your mouth as wide as possible and stick your tongue out. She exhales making noise.

The yogic version of this breath:

It is done sitting on the calves or in a chair and placing the hands on each knee with the fingers apart.Breathe in, and as you breathe out, the mouth is opened to the maximum, the tongue is stuck out, the eyes are wide open with a look towards the sky and the fingers are stretched towards the ground.

7. Breathing to balance the mind

Clear your mind before an exam.

Cover one of the nostrils with your thumb. and breathe slowly through the other counting to 8.Hold your breath for 4 secondscover the other nostril and exhale to 8. Pause for 4 seconds. Practice for a few minutes.change nostril after each exhalation.

8. Breathing to reconnect with the past

This practice is known as “circle breathing” and it is very potent (can cause hyperventilation). After a few minutes you may remember images of your childhood that you had forgotten It is used in the techniques of rebirthing with supervision.

Breathe in a fluid stream without pauses or interruptions for a few minutes.

It is inhaled and, without slowing down or holding the airthe exhalation begins. The end of the exhalation connects directly with another inhalation.One and the other connect without obstacles and create a dynamic circle.