When was the last time you paused to focus on your breath? When you’re in a stressful situation, what is the first thing you focus on – probably not your breath right? Did you know that there are breathing techniques for anxiety that can help you feel more calm and relaxed?
Stress and anxiety are some of the most common challenges we face today. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to deal with these issues effectively. One such technique for stress is learning how to be mindful. Mindfulness is the key to keeping yourself grounded and relaxed. If you want to be more mindful, you need to learn how to control your breathing. Since breathing is an involuntary activity of the body, we rarely pay attention to our breath. Also, whenever we experience stress, our breathing becomes more shallow due to our natural survival instinct. Focusing on your breathing is what helps you stay rooted in the present moment. Let’s dive into some breathing exercises for beginners, and understand how you can use the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
What is the 4 7 8 Breathing Technique?
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a type of breathing exercise that was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. It is a very useful technique that can help you control your breathing and relax yourself. This breathing technique for beginners helps to slow your heart rate, and makes you feel calmer. This technique has been adapted from the Yogic breathing technique ‘pranayama’. It can also help you sleep better, and manage anger. As the name suggests, this technique involves breathing in for 4 counts, holding for 7 counts, and then exhaling for 8 counts.
Types of Breathing Exercises: How They Work and Their Benefits
You may have observed that when you’re feeling stressed, your breathing changes because of the fight-or-flight response of your body. So, there are different types of breathing exercises you can explore to consciously regulate your breath. The main goal of different types of breathing exercises is to help you bring your awareness to your breath. By focusing on your breathing, you can be more present. Here are some breathing exercises for beginners as well as advanced practitioners which have been found to be helpful in stress management.
- Deep breathing
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Alternate nostril breathing (Anulom Vilom/Nadi Shodhana Pranayama)
- Pursed lips breathing
- Humming bee breathing (Bhramari)
Each of these breathing exercises is very effective and has various benefits with many of these breathing techniques for anxiety helping release stress and make you feel more calm.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of different types of breathing exercises:
1. Relaxes Your Body and Mind
When you do breathing exercises for stress you take deep, conscious breaths which you can relax your nervous system, which is responsible for the involuntary functions of your body. Breathing exercises for beginners also lower your heart rate, reducing the build-up of lactic acid in your muscle tissues, and also improving the functioning of your immune system. Along with that, concentrating on your breathing helps you control the constant stream of thoughts that run in your mind, thus making you feel calmer and more positive.
2. Helps You Sleep Better
Studies have found that breathing techniques help to get good sleep. If you have been struggling to get quality sleep, incorporating the 4-7-8 breathing technique or any other breathing techniques for stress will help you regulate your sleep pattern.
3. Improves Oxygen Circulation in the Body
Breathing exercises are excellent ways to regulate the circulation of oxygen in your body. For good health, maintaining healthy levels of oxygen is very important. Practicing breathing exercises are a great way to replenish your oxygen levels.
4. Helps Overcome Anxiety and Stress, and Deal With Panic Attacks
Controlling your breathing can help in times of extreme stress and anxiety, including panic attacks. By learning how to regulate your breath with a few daily exercises, you can potentially avoiding getting into a situation where you start to feel a panic attack come on.
How to Do the 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise?
- Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down for this practice.
- Rest the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth for this practice. This may be a little difficult when you start, but with practice, you will be able to control the movement of the tongue.
- Before starting, exhale completely through your mouth, emptying the oxygen from your lungs.
- Then, inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts.
- Hold your breath for 7 counts. This step is very crucial in the practice, as this is what helps you go into a state of calmness.
- Slowly exhale with a ‘whoosh’ sound through your mouth for 8 counts.
- This completes one breathing cycle. Repeat this full cycle for up to 4 times. Once you have gotten comfortable with this practice, you can repeat this for up to 8 breathing cycles as well.
Mastering the 4-7-8 breathing technique takes some time. Initially, when you do this practice, you may feel dizzy or light-headed. Thus, it is always advisable to do this only when you are seated or lying down in a relaxed position. In order to experience the full benefits of this technique, do it consistently for at least 21 days.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a simple exercise you can do to manage stress and anxiety, sleep better, and maintain good health. At SoulSensei, we have a variety of meditation and breathing exercises for beginners curated by our panel of experts which you can use to get started. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique, and experience its healing benefits!
Sources
- “Breathing to Reduce Stress.” Better Health Channel, Department of Health & Human Services, 2 Oct. 2014.
- Fletcher, Jenna. “How to Use 4-7-8 Breathing for Anxiety.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 4 Oct. 2023.
- Gotter, Ana. “What Is the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 Apr. 2018.
