Welcome back, everyone. This week’s newsletter will discuss breathing techniques that help you find stillness and peace. If you have ever heard the words” just breathe,” Then this week’s newsletter will benefit you as it will teach you ways to breathe that will be of real benefit to you when you encounter situations or people you find challenging to your ability to remain calm and in a place of peace.
If you practice yoga, qi gong, pilates, or meditation, these breathing practices will take any of these practices to the next level and enrich the practices. If this sounds like a topic that you would like to know more about, then stick with me as I take this next step toward becoming positively improved.
The mindful breathing technique
The mindful breathing technique involves focusing on your breathing and bringing your attention to the present without allowing your mind as it drifts to the past or future. A way to accomplish this is to be mindful as you breathe. Follow your breath in, fill your chest, expand, and then feel your chest clasp as you exhale.
You will become more aware of yourself and your surroundings by engaging in mindfulness breathing exercises. This exercise can also help ease your anxiety or an overactive mind, slowing everything down to a calmer and more relaxed state.
While practicing mindfulness breathing exercises, you must choose a calming focus point, such as a sound, a positive word, or a phrase. For instance, you can repeat the sound “om,” the word “peace,” or the phrase “breathe in calm, breathe out tension” silently as you inhale or exhale. The key is to let go and relax. If you find your mind wandering, take a deep breath and gently bring your focus back to the present moment.
The box breathing technique
The breathing technique would then be four-square breathing; this practice is straightforward to learn and practice. If you’ve ever noticed yourself inhaling and exhaling to the rhythm of a song, you’re already familiar with this type of paced breathing. It goes like this:
- Exhale to a count of four.
- Hold your lungs empty for a four-count.
- Inhale to a count of four.
- Hold the air in your lungs for a count of four.
- Exhale and begin the pattern anew.
This practice will help you immerse yourself in whatever activity you are doing and gain insight into yourself, your surroundings, and your situations; it will also make it a fun and rewarding activity that will help you come to a state of calm and profound peace.
A basic breathing exercise
This practice is one of the most commonly used breathing exercises used. You can perform this simple breathing exercise as often as needed. It can be done standing up, sitting, or lying down. If you find this exercise difficult or believe it’s making you anxious or panicky, stop for now. Try it again in a day or so and build up the time gradually.
The way to perform this exercise is to start by inhaling slowly and deeply through your nose. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Your abdomen should expand, and your chest should rise very little. Exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow air out, purse your lips slightly but keep your jaw relaxed. You may hear a soft “whooshing” sound as you exhale. Repeat this breathing exercise. Do it for several minutes until you start to feel better.
You can use this practice while doing other exercises, watching TV, or meditating. It is a basic but very effective way to breathe and bring yourself to a focused but calm state and a complete state of joy and inner peace.
Qi gong breathing technique
This practice is usually done with qi gong stretching or movements. The breathing practice draws in positive energy while expelling negative energy. If you are looking for self-healing, to raise your vibration, or to change yourself from a state of toxicity to a state of positive energy, this practice is most effective.
To practice this technique, you would start by tapping your body from the top of your head or your crown charka while inhaling through your nose and then exhaling through your mouth. Each breath should be deep, calm, and rhythmic to help you harmonize body and mind.
As you proceed with the movements of the qigong practice, you will also continue these breathing exercises. You will find, or at least I see, that I always feel more balanced and grounded at the end of one of these practices, which allows me to handle life challenges with more grace and compassion. I encourage you to try this for yourself and see if you are not left feeling more grounded and peaceful, too.
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of yet another newsletter, I hope that you found this information of some value and that if you have not already tried any or all these breathing techniques, you will open yourself to the idea of incorporating one or more of these breathing exercises into your daily routines.
Undoubtedly, they will help you along your journey of self-discovery and improvement. As I close, I encourage you to share this information with anyone you think this would be of some value. As always, thank you so much for joining me this week as I took this step toward becoming positively improved. Until next, namaste.
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