Four quick and easy ways to relax through deep breathing — blog entry by Danny Pettry
Feeling relaxed is the opposite of feeling stressed.
Stress causes physical health problems. It increases tension in the body.
Stress causes the heart rate to increase. Blood pressure starts to increase.
Can you imagine what would happen to a person who stays in chronic stress?
We, humans can use deep breathing to relax and bring balance to stress.
Deep breathing slows heart rate, decreases blood pressure, and increases oxygen in the brain.
Deep breathing techniques trick the body into thinking it is feeling calm and relaxed.
Can you imagine what physical, mental, and emotional (and even social) benefits people gain from being able to relax themselves?
Here are four quick and easy ways to practice deep breathing:
1. Stretch and yawn:
People often stretch and yawn when feeling tired.
People fall asleep when they’re feeling calm and relaxed.
Yawning is a way to increase oxygen to the brain and feel relaxed.
2. Pufferfish technique:
Kids recall this one easily.
Take a big deep breath to fill up lungs.
Make your cheeks blow up like a pufferfish.
Don’t hold breath because that will case stress.
Do slowly breathe out air. Allow cheeks to deflate.
3. Visualization technique:
Inhale cool air through your nose.
Imagine smelling your favorite scent.
Slowly exhale the hot air from your mouth
Imagine you’re trying to fog up the window.
4. Belly breathing technique:
Lie flat on your back.
Inhale enough oxygen to fill your belly up with air.
Slowly exhale and allow your stomach to become flat.
Teach these breathing tips to your patients/ clients/ consumers.