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When some people start talking about breathing, others look at them as if they’re strange. Everyone knows how to breathe, or so it’s assumed. There are some people who have distress while trying to breathe, while others actually start to forget the process. If you believe breathing is all that natural, start thinking about how you breathe and see if, suddenly, you’re wondering if you really will remember how to breathe.
Many stress experts know that proper breathing can help alleviate stress and make people calm. There are few people who can walk around all day breathing deeply enough to maintain the sense of calm that practitioners believe is needed to help relieve the stress, but all believe some kind of education can be given to help people breathe themselves to feeling better.
Anthony Robbins, the self-help guru, actually subscribes to this theory. In his CD set Fit For Life, he takes people through a process of both deep breathing and short breathing exercises. Some of it sounds silly, but for those people who believe in it and follow it, they’ll tell you that it works for them.
There’s also a program known as Oxycize, which is known as a health and weight loss program that involves proper breathing to not only help people lose weight, but supposedly it can work as an exercise, giving people more tone bodies and helping their health improve immensely without pills or dieting.
Something many people don’t know is that when you don’t fully breathe properly, you could bring on yawns and tiredness. When people are yawning, it means they’re not breathing what’s considered as normal for them, and the loss of oxygen from proper breathing makes the brain tired. This is more proof that not everyone knows how to breathe properly at all times. It’s also the reason why people with sleep apnea are often recommended to get a CPAP airway pressure machine, which helps them breathe while trying to sleep so that they’ll get a deeper, more restful sleep.
How do you breathe to relieve stress? Well, it’s not only breathing, but it’s how you’re able to set yourself up. The best way is in a relaxed sitting position, so that the upper body is elongated. Laying down puts too much pressure on the stomach and lungs to work effectively. Once the body is in a relaxed position, the idea is to breathe in slowly and deeply, not quite as deep as when you visit the doctor’s office, but still fairly deep. Then release the air just as slowly, with your eyes closed. Breathing through the nose is preferred if you can do it. Adding something soothing in the background, such as soft lights, soft music, and possibly some scent that you like, also helps in the breathing process. Then you just do it over and over, trying to clear your mind.
You will feel some stress go away; this part works for everyone. Will you be totally at peace? Depends on your stress level. But it’s the safest and most effective way to get some immediately stress relief in your life.
See more:
Breathing Exercises
How to Release Tension with Stress Relief Breathing
Breathing Better, Living Well