We’ve all been there. There’s a looming deadline, other people are waiting on your actions to move ahead, the task in front of you seems to grow larger every time you look into it, and you just seem stuck, looping the same self-defeating thoughts over and over again. There’s a tightness in your chest, a pressure behind your eyes, an ache in your shoulders, and a general feeling of unease like someone wrapped a smelly, damp cloak over your body. Night comes, and while your body begs for rest, your mind has other plans, and races through stressful memories and thoughts like a toddler switching channels with the TV remote.
Many of us take this situation as a necessary consequence of working on a challenging project. It’s just part of the job. We might medicate to push through, or just postpone rest and health until after the project is completed. What else can you do? There’s an answer to that question, and it’s just about as simple and easy as it sounds: Just Breathe.
Breathing Is a Key Part of Yoga
If you know anything about yoga already, you probably know that breathing is super important. Breathing is a key component to the practice of yoga, which means to “yoke” or still the mind. Let’s look at two different yogic breathing techniques to help you rein in that tempestuous mind of yours and find some clarity, control, and ease.
The first technique is called alternate nostril breathing (or nadi shodhana in Sanskrit). And the second technique, called 4-7-8 breathing, uses the nose and the mouth. They’re each a little different, but both are effective at resetting and calming the mind, and those effects are backed by some pretty convincing science. Let’s get into it.
When you’re feeling stressed, it’s a little like you’re being chased by a tiger. You’re in fight, flight, or freeze mode, and your body readies itself for any or all of those options. Your pulse races, your blood pressure rises, and your sensitivity to external or imagined stimuli (looking for more tigers!) goes bonkers. Sound familiar?
Yogic Breathing Benefits Mental Health
These breathing exercises are a bit like a control-alt-delete for your brain. When you practice a prescribed breathing method, you’re rebooting your mind, redirecting the energy away from fight, flight, or freeze, toward peace, ease, and control. As a result, research has shown that your pulse slows, your blood pressure lowers, and you re-frame your awareness to what’s real and alive in your own body.
People who regularly practice either or both of these techniques, have reported feeling more rested, more calm, more focused, and more productive, even without any other yoga, exercise, sleeping, or dietary changes. If it sounds too good to be true, give it a try. Commit to a week of regular practice, a few times a day, and make note of how you feel, both immediately after each practice, and at the end of the week.
Here’s the program for each breathing technique. Before you start either of them, find a comfortable seated position, take some longer, deeper breaths to awaken your lungs, and feel free to close your eyes. Take extra precautions if you have trouble breathing for any reason, always listen to your body, and go at your own pace. This video demonstrates each practice.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
With your right hand, position your index and middle fingers near or on the space between your brows, and your thumb and ring finger on either side of your nose. You will use your thumb and ring finger to close and release each nostril.
Close the right nostril with your thumb, and inhale through your left nostril. Hold briefly.
Switch so that you close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the thumb from the right nostril, and exhale through the right nostril.
Leaving the fingers where they are, inhale through the right nostril, and hold briefly.
Switch to close the right nostril, open the left nostril, and exhale through the left nostril.
That’s one complete cycle. Beginners should go at their own pace, and for as many cycles as feels comfortable, and maybe just for a minute or two. Experts say that if you can work your way up to 10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing, the practice will bring even more benefits.
4-7-8 Breathing
For this technique, you may breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, or in and out through your nose. This technique uses “counts” rather than seconds, and you can define how quickly or slowly to count. It’s the ratio of inhaling, pausing, and exhaling that’s key.
Inhale for a count of 4.
Pause for a count of 7.
Exhale for a count of 8.
That’s one complete cycle. Dr. Andrew Weil recommend starting with 4 cycles three times a day, and working up to no more than 8 cycles, as often as you like. Many find the simple act of counting to be a great distraction from external stressors, a bit like counting sheep before bed.
Both breathing techniques offer a pretty nice buffet of benefits to help you de-stress, without any need for special equipment or a gym membership. And each can be completed in a couple of minutes, so they’re easy to squeeze into your busy schedule – yup, that same busy schedule we hope feels a little less busy after doing these practices.
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