It’s as easy as breathing

Don’t have the time or budget for a regular massage? No problem. For no cost, you can relax, ease muscle tension, reduce anxiety, and increase concentration, all in just 5 minutes a day, with deep breathing. It also helps you sidestep the physical effects of stress: an adrenaline release that triggers increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, and a surge of blood sugar.

How to breathe deeply

To get the full benefit, you have to do more than just stop and take a deep breath. Relaxation is a skill, and it takes practice.

Before you start, loosen any tight clothing. If you like, put on soft music. Sit or lie in a comfortable position. You can close your eyes or keep them half-open and focus on something in the room. Inhale slowly through your nose, paying attention to your breath. Imagine your lungs filling with fresh air. Relax the lower abdomen and visualize your diaphragm making space for your deep, cleansing breath. Feel this movement by placing your hand on your abdomen. When your lungs are full, exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process for several minutes, each time relaxing a bit more. If thoughts or concerns start to intrude, bring your focus back to your breathing.

A soft landing

When you finish a deep-breathing session, don’t just jump back into the usual round of daily activities. Instead, allow yourself to slowly become more aware of the rest of your body and your surroundings. Gradually return to full attentiveness.

Soothing variations

You can do a mini breathing session anytime; it may be especially helpful when you’re trapped in a long supermarket line or a traffic jam. For a variation, try paced respiration: Breathe as described above and think the number “five” as you exhale. After a pause, breathe deeply again and think “four” as you let air out through your mouth. Continue this cycle until you reach “one.”

Mindful, deep breathing not only helps relieve everyday pressures, in the long run it reduces the toll that stress can take on your health.

From the Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource