Learning how to breathe

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

The breath perfectly describes what’s going on in your mind. For example, if it’s too shallow, it could mean that you’re nervous, angry, frustrated, excited or overwhelmed. However, you can master these emotions by changing the way you breathe. This helps instantly calm down and free up some space in the mind, so you can achieve the mental focus and control required for whatever challenge you may face. As one uses focused breathing, one can begin to relax as the oxygen fills the body, reanimating the muscles and causing negative emotions to subside. Suppleness returns, bringing a renewed sense of confidence with it. There is no right or wrong way to practice breathing because once you notice it, you’re already on the right track. Nevertheless, here’s a method on how to practice focused breathing and relaxation in a more structured way. This could also be called a simple and short meditation.

Breathing exercise

1. Sit down in a comfortable position, back straight, fix your eyes, take three long, deep breaths, inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.
2. Feel a wave of relaxation with each breath while your lungs expand and release. Hold each breath temporarily before the exhale.
3. After the 3^rd breath let your eyes close.
4. Let the thoughts and sounds come and go.
5. Scan down your body from head to toe and notice how it feels.
6. Count 10 breaths, don’t breathe in any specific way, notice whether they’re short or long, deep or shallow, feel your eyelids heavier. As you exhale, let your tension and thoughts disappear.
7. Feel the muscles relax and the mind sinking into the body.
8. Let go and come back to counting right away whenever you notice your mind is wandering
9. After 3 sets of 10, feel the contact of the body and the chair again and awake your senses.
10. Feel a wave of freshness, relaxation, and stillness in the body as you open your eyes.

I would encourage you to add this exercise to your daily routine and practice it regularly once or twice every day. It’s also efficient to do it before sleep, so your mind and body can rest properly. Nevertheless, during any situation you may experience, it’s significant to observe the breath and its effect on the mind. Don’t try to force it to slow down, it will adjust by itself once you notice it. Good luck!