Anti-Stress Abdominal Breathing
When did anxiety become more the norm and calmness become happenstance? Just about everyone I come across these days are on anxiety medicine. That is not to say they should not be. We are fortunate to have medicine that can help. But I found they never even tried alternative coping skills such as anti-stress adominal breathing.
Anti-stress abdominal breathing is very simple and affective for stress and anxiety. I’ve known cases where people have turned their life around for the better by simply incorporating this way of breathing throughout their day. Some have actually lowered their blood pressure, as well, and able to get off their bp medicine by abdominal breathing. It’s a habit worth forming!
Give it a try:
Take a very deep breath. After you let it out, notice how you stiffened up your chest, your neck or have clinced your jaw.
Next, just gently push out your stomach and notice how you automatically suck air into your lungs. The reason for this is the negative pressure created when you push out your stomach. The diaphragm drops down creating a negative pressure in the chest, which automatically expands the lungs, sucking in air.
The lungs have five lobes and when many people take a very deep breath they actually only bring air into the two upper loves of the lungs. The reason is because they are pulling their stomach in rather than letting it push out, creating more space. The two lower lobes of the lungs have more blood vessels; therfore, more oxygen can get into the tissues.
*Oxygen is realxing and healing and allows a major decrease in stress.
*The vagus nerve runs through the diaphragm. And when the diaphragm is hyper – stretched it activates the vagus nerve which stimulate anti-stress hormones: endorphin, melatonn, serotonin.
*By taking the abdominal breath as taught, at least once an hour, will create significant changes in your stress level.
Best Way to do Abdominal Breathing
The best way to do abdominal breating is to breathe in for a count of three, hold the breath for three counts and breathe out for six counts and to do that hourly. Also find some time in the day when you can take ten breaths in that manner.
This type of breathing is a major component of your success.
Breathe deeply. Breathe deeply often!
If you’d like help with stress relief, please contact me via email, denna20gems@gmail.com, for a free wellness consultation. I’d love to help!
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