In today’s competitive world, life is full of tension and stress. Stress affects mental well-being and physical health. To always perform well, one has to stay mentally and physically fine. Hence, it is important to eliminate stress from life.
One has to stay cool and calm in difficult situations. However, it is not easy to handle stress. This quality has to be acquired. Practicing optimal breathing techniques will help one to handle stressful situations peacefully.
What is optimal breathing?
Optimal breathing may be defined as the technique of breathing in the most favorable ways in order to derive benefits both in terms of physical and mental well-being. Nobody had to teach us how to breathe but we do need to learn how to breathe optimally in order to stay fit both mentally and physically. Without oxygen, we will not be able to live. More oxygen means more energy and more clear thinking. Hence, deep breathing is essential for a good physical and mental state.
How to breathe optimally?
There are many optimal breathing techniques. Practicing these regularly will definitely help. All these techniques focus on deep breathing to increase the amount of oxygen intake.
Some of the techniques have been described below:
Relaxing sigh
Before starting, sit straight or stand up straight. Sigh deeply such that all air in the lungs is expelled.
Breathe in naturally. Do this regularly and multiple times. After doing this exercise, you will find your-self more relaxed. You should practice this if you are sighing or yawning excessively. This would definitely make you feel better.
Breathing exercise to cure heart and lung ailments
Sit straight in cross-legged position. Now, place both your hands on your chest. Start inhaling and exhaling rapidly through both the nostrils. Make sure that your chest moves up while inhaling and moves down while exhaling. Do this for 36 times a minute. Do not practice it for more than 3 minutes.
The blockage in lungs and in the arteries of heart is removed , if this exercise is practiced regularly. The heart becomes strong. It is beneficial for asthma patients. Moreover, it also relaxes the mind.
Meditation
Sit straight and drive away all useless thoughts that are trying to enter your mind. Focus on your breathing. Inhale deeply. Observe how you are breathing in and how you are exhaling. Concentrate only on your breathing. It will improve your concentration and will also give you mental peace.
Abdominal breathing technique
To start with, place one hand over your chest and the other one on your abdomen. Take a deep breath through your nose. While inhaling, the hand on the abdomen should rise more than the hand on the chest. After that breathe out through mouth and expel all the air in the lungs. It is an excellent relaxation technique. Practice for multiple times.
The bellows breathing technique
Sit straight and then inhale and exhale as fast you can through your nose. The exhaling and inhaling should be about 2-3 times in a second. However, do not continue doing this exercise for more than 15 seconds. It increases the strength of the neck, abdomen and chest besides, relaxing you.
One of the most important advantages of optimal breathing is that you can practice it anywhere. Moreover, you don’t need to invest much time also. Hence, without thinking much, start practicing optimal breathing techniques. You will be definitely benefited.
