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11 Breathing Techniques That Help Reduce Stress, Calm Your Mind and Relax Your Body

January 22, 2014 by ptpt 4 Comments

breathing techniquesWe all lead pretty busy lives.  Early mornings, late nights, work, stress, activities and more.  Most of us try to suck it up and deal with it, but stress can takes its toll, if we’re not careful.  The typical reaction to a long day is plopping down on the couch and having a drink, but that doesn’t help us cope.  A better way to counter all that stress, is to meditate or implement some simple breathing techniques.  The good news is, you can do it at your desk, in the car, at home, in a park, at the beach or just about anywhere.

Below are some great resources that we gathered up for you to use as a resource.  Read the articles, practice different techniques and find one that works best for you.

  1. Deep Breathing – Deep breathing is the cornerstone of many other relaxation practices, too, and can be combined with other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music. All you really need is a few minutes and a place to stretch out.
  2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation – To nix tension from head to toe, close the eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for two to three seconds each.
  3. Body Scan Meditation – A body scan is similar to progressive muscle relaxation except, instead of tensing and relaxing muscles, you simply focus on the sensations in each part of your body.
  4. Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the ability to remain aware of how you’re feeling right now, your “moment-to-moment” experience—both internal and external. Thinking about the past—blaming and judging yourself—or worrying about the future can often lead to a degree of stress that is overwhelming. But by staying calm and focused in the present moment, you can bring your nervous system back into balance. Mindfulness can be applied to activities such as walking, exercising, eating, or meditation.
  5. Visualization – Close your eyes and let your worries drift away. Imagine your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can—everything you can see, hear, smell, and feel. Visualization works best if you incorporate as many sensory details as possible, using at least three of your senses. When visualizing, choose imagery that appeals to you; don’t select images because someone else suggests them, or because you think they should be appealing. Let your own images come up and work for you.
  6. Equal Breathing – Balance can do a body good, beginning with the breath. To start, inhale for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four — all through the nose, which adds a natural resistance to the breath.
  7. Belly Breathing – With one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, ensuring the diaphragm (not the chest) inflates with enough air to create a stretch in the lungs.
  8. Alternate Nostril Breathing – A yogi’s best friend, this breath is said to bring calm and balance, and unite the right and left sides of the brain. Starting in a comfortable meditative pose, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril.
  9. Guided Visualization – With a coach, therapist or helpful recording as your guide, breathe deeply while focusing on pleasant, positive images to replace any negative thoughts.
  10. Coherent Breathing – Coherent breathing is basically breathing at a rate of five breaths per minute, which is the middle of the resonant breathing rate range. I achieve this if I count to five inhaling and count to five exhaling.
  11. Resistance Breathing – Resistance breathing is exactly what its name suggests: breathing that creates resistance to the flow of air.  Resistance can be created by pursing the lips, placing the tip of the tongue against the inside of the upper teeth, hissing through the clenched teeth, tightening the throat muscles, partly closing the glottis, narrowing the space between the vocal cords, or using an external object such as breathing through a straw.

Stress can be a killer, but taking the time to practice these techniques can help calm your mind and body, making you healthier, more productive and energetic.  Try them out and let us know which one you find most beneficial.

To learn more, check out these resources:

6 Different Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less

3 Deep Breathing Exercises to Reduce Anxiety

Innovative Results is committed to helping people in Orange County become healthier, happier and more active.  To learn more about our award winning fitness programs, fill out the form below & let’s discuss your fitness goals at your Free Trial Session!

Filed Under: Blog, Mental - Mindset Tagged With: Breathing Resistance, breathing techniques, breathing\, Coherent Breathing, Conscious Breathing, Deep Breath, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Help Reduce Stress, meditation, Mind–body Interventions, Mindfulness, Pranayama, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Reduce stress, Relax Muscles, Relax Your Body, relaxation, Research On Meditation, Respiration, Stress Reduce, yoga

6 Ways To Get a Break From Your Busy Day – Innovative Results Helps You Improve Your Quality of Life With Recovery Tips

April 22, 2012 by ptpt Leave a Comment

Maximize Recovery on the MoveJennifer Lifting with Kettlebell

So, I had a long day at work and afterwards got in a session with Corey, my manager.  It was a great workout.  Afterwards he gave me a big smile and a high five and I was feeling better, but tired, when I climbed into my car.  And then I hit the 405.  “@#$%^!!!!!!!!!”  In the span of a minute tension was racing back into my system: blood pressure rising as I got angry at traffic, my shoulders and neck getting tense.

CTraffic, frustration, stress, recover, recovery, active recoveryars and commutes can be some of our worst enemies when we’re trying to make
positive changes in our health and fitness.  The stress seeps in and sabotages our bodies’ ability to handle life well, let alone adapt to the positive stress of a well thought-out exercise program.  Even worse it causes us to adopt harmful habits in our posture, our breathing, our sleep, and even our mindset and the way we interact with people.

So here are some simple things that I’ve been practicing  that help a lot when life seems like it’s getting to be too much.

Why not try this tonight?

6 Ways To Get a Break From Your Busy Day

  1. breathing techniques for recoveryAs soon as you get in your car, take 5 deep, slow breaths.  In through the nose, out through the mouth, filling your lungs from bottom to top as full as you can.  Repeat this every time you merge onto a different freeway, or at the start of each significant leg of your journey.  Just don’t close your eyes!
  2. Name 5 things that you are grateful for.  Things that are going well in your life.  Then express your gratitude to somebody before you go to bed!
  3. Take 5 minutes to admire something.  It could be a view, a plant, a nice building or a yard, a child’s project, a loved one.
  4. Before you go to bed, write out 1 chore outside of work that you’ve been putting off that you can accomplish tomorrow.   Put the note somewhere that you will see it tomorrow and get it done.
  5. Right before sleepy time, take another 10 deep breaths, this time with your eyes closed, and think about the thing that you are the most grateful for.  Sweet dreams!
  6. Daily: take 5 minutes every hour to stand up tall and straight.  Let your shoulders come down and be relaxed and broad.  Tighten your core a bit, like a belt.  Let your spine grow tall to the ceiling.  Relax and breathe deep.

All of this will help you lay a foundation for clear thinking, for better circulation, and for better rest.  And if you can practice calm, clarity, and gratitude every day, you are really going to be on track to getting your body where you want it to go!

happy, happiness, recovery, relaxFor a few more ideas, be sure to check out this article:

11 Mini Vacations That Fit Into Your Hectic Schedule

9 Ways to Give Your Brain a Break, Reset and Reduce Stress

Breathing Techniques That Help Reduce Stress, Calm Your Mind and Relax Your Body

Filed Under: Blog, Guidance - Coaching - Support, Mental - Mindset, Recovery Tagged With: 11 Mini, 6 Ways, Active Recovery, Blood Pressure Rise, breathing techniques, Busy Day, De Stress, Deep Breath, Emotions, Gratitude, Handle Life, Making Positive Changes, Positive Mental Attitude, Positive Psychology

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Disclaimer: All quotes are the experiences and opinions of individuals, actual results may vary.

 

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