4 Powerful Breathing Exercises for Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Breathing exercises can be a helpful tool to manage anxiety, stress, and depression as they activate the body’s relaxation response, which can counteract the physical symptoms of anxiety. Here are some breathing exercises you can try:
You don’t need anything if you have a long relaxed Breath. these relaxing breathing exercises for anxiety, stress, depression, and panic take just a few minutes, come with zero side effects, and can be done anywhere.
If you are still brooding about how breathing exercises reduce anxiety, stress, and panic then some research gives you the right answer…
What Research Says:
Yes, research has shown that breathing exercises can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. Here’s how:
- Activates the relaxation response: When you engage in deep breathing exercises, you activate your body’s relaxation response, which counteracts the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress. This can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure, reduce muscle tension, and promote feelings of calm and relaxation.
- Improves oxygenation: Deep breathing exercises increase the amount of oxygen in your body, which can help improve your mood, energy levels, and cognitive function. This can be especially helpful for people with depression, who may experience low energy and brain fog.
- Reduces negative thinking: Focusing on your breath during breathing exercises can help you shift your attention away from negative thoughts and feelings. This can be especially helpful for people with anxiety and depression, who may experience rumination and worry.
- Enhances mindfulness: Breathing exercises can be a form of mindfulness practice, which has been shown to improve mental health outcomes. Mindfulness involves focusing your attention on the present moment, without judgment or distraction. This can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Amazing Breathing Exercises for Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Breathing exercises can be a helpful tool to manage anxiety as they activate the body’s relaxation response, which can counteract the physical symptoms of anxiety. Here are some breathing exercises you can try:
- Diaphragmatic breathing: Also known as belly breathing, this technique involves taking slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm (the muscle located below your lungs). Here’s how to do it:
- Sit or lie down comfortably and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, filling your lungs with air and allowing your stomach to expand.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, emptying your lungs completely and allowing your stomach to contract.
- Repeat for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.
- 4-7-8 breathing: This technique involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding your breath for a count of 7, and exhaling for a count of 8. Here’s how to do it:
- Sit or lie down comfortably and close your mouth.
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of 8, making a whooshing sound as you do.
- Repeat the cycle for a total of 4 breaths.
- Box breathing: This technique involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding your breath for a count of 4, exhaling for a count of 4, and holding your breath for a count of 4. Here’s how to do it:
- Sit or stand comfortably and take a few deep breaths to relax.
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Repeat the cycle for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.
Remember that breathing exercises are just one tool to help manage anxiety. If you’re experiencing severe or persistent anxiety, it’s important to seek professional help from a mental health provider.
1 Sama Vritti or “Equal Breathing”
The sages of ancient India found some breathing exercises that relieved the body and mind from stress and anxiety. That is Sama Vritti Pranayama.
You can do this breathing exercise easily anywhere. It calms your mind. Relaxes the body. Helps to make the mind resolute.
How To do Sama Vritti or “Equal Breathing”:- To perform this asana, sit upright on the ground in the posture of Padmasana or Sukasana. Close your eyes and count to 4 and breathe. Hold the breath while counting 4, then release the breath while counting to 4. Repeat this process 1 to 5 times.
Keep in mind:- keep your breath control, because you are breathing for the same amount of time as you are exhaling.
2 Meditative Breathing Or 4-7-8 Exercise
Taking deep breaths (Meditative Breathing) is the best way to reduce anxiety and stress because when you take a deep breath, it sends a message to your mind to remain calm and relaxed. Taking a deep breath keeps you calm and comfortable. Taking deep breaths kills many bad thoughts in the mind and brain.
How To do:- To perform this asana, sit on any flat ground in Padmasana posture. Counting 4 seconds, breathe through your nose, hold the breath for 7 seconds and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.
Most Beneficial:- You take more oxygen than breathing in a count of 4. Counting at 7 seconds, there is a good flow of oxygen to your bloodstream when you stop breathing. By exhaling for 8 seconds, you rapidly remove carbon dioxide from your lungs.
3 Anulom Vilom Pranayama (Alternative Nostril Breathing)
Anulom Vilom Pranayama means one of the main types of Nadi Shodhana pranayama. This is very important and beneficial pranayama. Like another pranayama, it is also breathed and released. Anulom Vilom Pranayama is made up of three words in which Anulom means right nostril and Vilom means left nostril and pranayam means breathing. So this asana means breathing in and out of the right and left nostrils.
Specialty:- A Yogi’s best friend, this breath is said to bring calm, balance and unite the right and left sides of the brain.
The Nadis are subtle energy channels in the human body that can be closed for various reasons. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is a process of breathing that helps to cleanse these energy systems and operate smoothly and thus calm the mind.
How To Do:- To perform this asana, sit on any flat ground in Padmasana posture. And you put your left hand on your left knee. Now close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand. Breathe in from the left nose, counting 5 in the mind. Now close the left nose with the ring finger of the right hand. And release the breath from the right nostril. Now inversely, breathe in the same way from the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. Initially, do this for 1 minute. Gradually, it can increase its time duration.
4 Kapalbhati Pranayama ( Skull Shining Breathing)
Kapalabhati Pranayama not only relaxes the human body but also calms the mind.
Kapalbhati is said to be very important for the development of meditation and mental power. Kapalabhati also awakens the Kundalini Shakti. To keep the mind calm and cheerful, Kapalbhati Pranayam should be done daily. This pranayama cleanses the nerves of the body and makes them completely healthy and cures diseases.
How To Do:- To do Kapalbhati pranayama, sit on any meditation posture or chair while keeping the spine straight. After this, throw out the breath as fast as possible from both the nostrils of the nose. Also, make the stomach as compressed as possible. After that, immediately both the nostrils are inhaled and allow the stomach to come out as soon as possible. Increase the order slowly.
Final Word
These procedural results are achieved immediately. For their long-term stability, it is essential to maintain consistency in the endeavor. Always experienced yoga teacher or experts should be contacted.
