Woman feeling overwhelmed, anxious and worried

The mind follows the breath, and the breath follows the mind. Do you feel like you’re always trying to catch your breath?  When you’re stressed, do you find yourself holding your breath? The breath is the gateway to a mental and physical reset. It’s the quickest way to recover from a stressful situation, or a great way to prepare yourself for a challenging time.

I want to share one of my favorite breath techniques. My client’s love this one. Especially the ones that feel like they’re having a hard time catching their breath or feel shortness of breath. When I was suffering from anxiety attacks, I felt like I was breathing in well enough, but I could hardly exhale. I wish I had known how to breath this way. It would have helped me outsmart stress and anxiety.

Pursed Lip Breathing:

1. Create a comfortable environment to practice
2. Relax and maintain a straight spine. You can stretch your back and shoulders to prepare yourself.
3. Pucker your lips like your drinking through a straw, or like you’re getting ready to whistle.
4. Now begin breathing in. Draw the breath down to your belly. I count to 8, but you can do what feels comfortable for you. Experiment with different durations. At the top of your breath, pause for a sec or two.
5. Now, with pursed lips, exhale releasing all the air out of your lungs. You want to feel some resistance. It may feel like you’re drawing your belly button all the way back to your spine. At the bottom of your breath, pause for a sec or two.
6. Repeat this breath exercise for a few minutes. Notice how the body begins to relax. This is important, the noticing part, because it will reinforce the benefits.

This type of exercise is often recommended for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When you breath through pursed lips, it creates resistance in the airways, keeping them open allowing carbon dioxide to be released. It strengthens the lungs and the diaphragm. It also activates the Vagus nerve, which tells the body it can relax. You move from sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze) to parasympathetic (rest, digest, restore). As always, it’s good to consult your doctor before tying anything new.

Share This