Breathwork for stress relief

It’s amazing that something as simple as a few deep breaths can provide immediate benefits for stress relief. Along with stress relief, the power of the breath also produces a number of health benefits. Here is an overview of the bad and good kinds of breathing techniques you can try yourself to assist with stress relief.

Bad breathing
Breathing through your mouth after strenuous exercise is normal. Other than that, short, shallow breaths from the mouth over time can produce adverse effects. Shallow breathing, among other reasons, is a result of poor posture. Over time this can contribute to back and neck pain. Constant breathing from the mouth also alters the pH of your saliva, making it more acidic and removes some of its antibacterial effects.

The link between breathing and stress relief
If you are stressed or anxious you tend to take small, shallow breaths from the mouth. Chronic mouth breathing activates the “fight-or-flight response,” which makes you more likely to feel anxious and stressed. This kind of breathing does not aid stress relief. In fact it has the potential to prolong feelings of anxiety and stress, resulting in chest tightness, heart palpitations and insomnia. Shallow breathing is also a trigger of heart stress.

Healthy breathing
Diaphragmatic, deep breathing is a healthy way of breathing and can provide immediate benefits for stress relief. Diaphragmatic breathing allows for longer and fuller breaths, allowing more oxygen to reach the lower parts of the lung. Breathing exercises focus on opening the chest. Most importantly, diaphragmatic breathing provides stress relief, works to slow the heart beat, lower blood pressure, soothe the nervous system and deliver oxygen to the blood cells.

Breathing techniques for stress relief
The Buteyko Method teaches correct breathing to aid anxiety, panic and stress relief. Buteyko discovered “over breathing” or hyperventilation can lead to or worsen a number of health conditions. Stress also plays a role in this. Buteyko offers an effective form of stress relief by restoring a normal breathing pattern, returning the body to a calm state rather than the “fight or flight” state.

Pranayama is a yogic breathing technique. There are a range of exercises which are classified as pranayama including alternate nostril breathing, ujjayi or whisper breath, or bee breathing. These forms of conscious breathing aid in stress relief and also produce other health benefits such as reducing free radical damage, improving lung function and quality of life in chronic illness.

Tips for good breathing
Reminding yourself to stand or sit with a straight back encourages deeper breathing by opening up the chest. This in turn will allow you to be more conscious of your breathing. For stress relief, remind yourself to take longer, fuller breaths when anxious to soothe the nervous system, reduce the heart beat and calm the body. The results of this form of stress relief are immediate and the effects will resonate across your body.

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