Take a Breather: 3 Incredibly Powerful Breathing Exercises

As a psychologist, my goal is to facilitate your well-being. Sharing tools for well-being is one of my favorite things to do in life.

Actually, sharing awareness about tools for well-being is one of my favorite things to do; that's because nearly all of the tools are in your own possession already.

One of the most potent is your breath.

We here it all of the time, "Just Breathe!"

Since breathing is a function of our autonomic nervous system, that acts largely unconsciously, what more we can add to the mix?

However, mindful breathing, performed regularly, may have long-term psychological and physiological effects. Recent studies suggest that programs that focus on breathing exercises can reduce perceived stress, improve mood, and lower cortisol levels, cardiovascular response to stress, blood pressure and other factors.

Psychological benefits of breathing practice include improved emotional responses, fatigue, stress, and reduced anxiety.

When life feels out of control, focus on what you can control…

your exercise,

how you speak to yourself, ...

and your breath!

For your body:

Falling Out Breath

The falling out breath is a great way to release physical tension in the body.

To start, take a deep inhale, filling your lungs with as much air as possible.

At the top of your breath, take one more sip of air.

Then, exhale, with a big sigh (a gloriously loud sigh!) as you release the air from your lungs.


For your mind:

Box breath

The box breath is a helpful tool to increase your mindfulness.

Inhale to the count of 4,

hold your breath at the top to the count of 4,

exhale to the count of 4,

and hold your breath at the bottom to the count of 4.

For your spirit:

Emptying breath

The emptying breath is a strategy to activate your parasympathetic nervous system

and calm your sympathetic nervous system.

Inhale to the count of 3 and exhale slowly to the count of 6, focusing on releasing as much air as possible.

Set your timer for 1 minute and breathe.

Try using your breath as a tool whenever you feel stressed.

Experiment and find out which breath works best for you!

Let Me Know!