Breathing

“Take a deep breath. Now exhale slowly. You’re probably not aware of it, but your heart has just slowed down a bit. Not to worry; it will speed up again when you inhale. This regular-irregular beat is a sign of a healthy interaction between heart and head. Each time you exhale, your brain sends a signal down the vagus nerve to slow the cardiac muscle. With each inhale, the signal gets weaker and your heart revs up. Inhale, beat faster. Exhale, beat slower. It’s an ancient rhythm that helps your heart last a lifetime. And it leads to lesson No. 1 in how to manage stress and avoid burnout.” from Time Magazine’s  “The Brain: 6 Lessons for Handling Stress“

Learning to pay attention to your breathing, taking slow deep inhales and exhales, is the first step to any meditation or instant stress relief method.

The best way to breathe meditatively is the same way a baby breathes. A full breath in and full breath out with no pause. Doing this simple breathing pattern will re-energize your body.

To practice just put your hand on your belly and breathe in deeply then exhale fully and repeat.

Remember to breathe slow and deep. Fast breathing leads to hyperventilation. Slow, deep breathing is often the solution to hyperventilation as it slows down your body’s metabolism.

By following this you will fill your entire lungs. You don’t actually breath into your stomach but expanding your belly as you breath helps fill your lungs.