Breathe out your stress!

By Lionel Wijesiri

Many years ago, I had an accident which resulted injury to my left foot. For nearly two months, it took me off from my daily brisk walking exercise. About all I could do was some breathing exercises learned during my yoga classes.

As I continued breathing in a controlled fashion to exercise my chest and strengthen my stomach muscles, I found my pain also gradually ceasing.

Fascinated, I did some extensive reading and discovered that breathing has been helpful in a variety of activities - from acting to singing to sports and meditations. The more I read, the more I realised that breathing is the missing connection for the integration and control of body and mind.

I learnt that unlike most nutrients, oxygen cannot be stored in the body. Every minute, we need a steady, fresh intake of air. Yet most of us use our lungs at only one-third of their full capacity.

However, for most of us, breathing is nothing more than an automatic function that keeps us alive, a steady flow that brings in vital oxygen and expels carbon dioxide. But unlike heartbeat or digestion, breath is a bodily function we can consciously control.

If you’ve ever taken a deep breath to keep a panic attack at bay, then you already know the wonders breathing can have on your well-being. Not only will paying regular attention to your breath give you a good reading on your mental and emotional state, you’ll also tap into an easy and effective way to manage stress and anxiety.

Taking for granted

Though we usually take it for granted, we use the breath in lots of different ways every day: gasping when we cry, hyperventilating when we’re panicked and breathing deeply when we laugh. But most of us still live day-to-day taking shallow, unconscious breaths - and that’s not good for us.

The ultimate truth is that a lot of people don’t realise they aren’t breathing properly. They are breathing in a way that reflects stress - and by breathing that way, they’re actually sending a message to their nervous system that they are stressed. It’s a vicious circle.

To counter this situation, there are several basic breathing programs that use the respiratory system to its maximum potential, letting as much oxygen into the body as possible while removing as much waste carbon dioxide as possible.

Controlled breathing not only keeps the mind and body functioning at their best, it can also lower blood pressure, promote feelings of calm and relaxation and help us de-stress.

While the effects of breathing techniques on anxiety haven’t yet been studied at length (at least not in a controlled clinical setting), many experts encourage using the breath as a means of increasing awareness and mindfulness.

To get to the bottom of the breathing techniques, I read the book Breath Strong - Perform Better written by Dr. Ellen McConnell. She is one of the world’s leading experts on breathing training, and in sharing her expertise, she presents in this book the most up-to-date research-based information on the topic. If you read this book, you will realise that breathing properly isn’t quite as easy as it sounds.

From the confines of a bed, a desk or anyplace where negativity finds its way, consider these four simple breathing techniques to help you keep calm.

Equal breathing technique

How it’s done: Balance can do a body good, beginning with the breath. To start, inhale for a count of three seconds, hold for three seconds, and then exhale for a count of three seconds - all through the nose, which adds a natural resistance to the breath. When you get it right, keeping going for advanced stages. More advanced yogis can aim for five to eight seconds per breath and hold (each in and out) with the same goal in mind: the exercise will calm the nervous system, increase focus and reduce stress.

When it works best: Anytime, anyplace - but this is one technique that’s especially effective before bed. Similar to counting sheep, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, this breath can help take your mind off the racing thoughts, or whatever might be distracting you from sleep.

Abdominal breathing technique’

How it’s done: 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.

The goal: Six to 10 deep, slow breaths per minute for 10 minutes twice or thrice a day to experience immediate reductions to heart rate and blood pressure, McConnell says. Keep at it for six to eight weeks, and those benefits might stick around even longer. When it works best: Before an examination, interview or any stressful event. But keep in mind, those who operate in a stressed state all the time might be a little shocked how hard it is to control the breath. But with continued practice, and firm determination, they will eventually succeed.

Alternate nostril breathing technique

How it’s done: 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. Continue the pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, closing it off with the right thumb and exhaling through the left nostril.

When it works best: Crunch time, or whenever it’s time to focus or energise. Just don’t try this one before bed: Alternate Nostril Breathing is said to “clear the channels” and make people feel more awake. It’s almost like a hot cup of coffee.

Progressive relaxation technique

How it’s done: To fight against tension from head to toe, close the eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group for two to three seconds each. Start with the feet and toes, then move up to the knees, thighs, rear, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw and eyes - all while maintaining deep, slow breaths.

Having trouble staying on track? Anxiety and panic specialists suggest we breathe in through the nose, hold for a count of five seconds while the muscles tense, then breathe out through the mouth on release.

When it works best: At home, at a desk or even on the road. One word of caution: Dizziness is never the goal. If holding the breath ever feels uncomfortable, tone it down to just a few seconds at most.

Regular exercise

Though McConnell recommends these exercises for 10 to 20 minutes a day, she says even practising for a 2-3 minutes every hour will have noticeable benefits. “It will completely change your mental and emotional state,” she says.

As an added bonus, she adds that good breathing has physical benefits for the whole body, as it helps reduce acidity and makes the body more alkaline.

“If you have chronic acidity in your body tissue,” he explains, “you’ll have a greater tendency to develop chronic disease.” Isn’t all these benefits worth taking a deep breath for?