Dealing with Anxiety: Using Breathing Exercises to Calm the Mind

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So I've taken up personal training classes at my gym and during one of my first sessions my trainer was making me attempt various difficult stretches.  Well needless to say I was really hurting. I mean I felt like it was impossible for me to complete these stretches being that they hurt so bad. Then he said a very powerful thing to me. Breathe through the pain. In that moment it all clicked for me. Then I began to talk with him about my struggles with anxiety and how my therapist had also recommended to use breathing techniques as a tool but always found it hard unless I was in a yoga or spinning class. He completely agreed that it should be a part of everyone's toolbox, and here's why.

Breathing exercises (pranayama) help calm anxiety by slowing the breath and slowing the heart rate. They also function like meditation, making us focus on the breath and clearing our minds of racing thoughts. i.e. effectively helping us handle and get over the life stressors. There are 3 types of breathing exercises I have in my toolbox to use that I've learned from yoga or counseling, they include:

The Conscious Breath - The conscious breath is simply being aware of your own breathing. When people are anxious or stressed, they tend to take shallow breaths, breathing from their shoulders. Proper breathing involves expanding the lungs and diaphragm, without involving the shoulders. Sit in a comfortable position, and place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Close your eyes and breathe normally. Pay attention to your breathing rate, the rise and fall of your chest, and how the air feels in your lungs. Sit and focus on your breath for at least five breaths.

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 The Bumble Bee Breath - Sit upright, in a comfortable position. Your shoulders should be relaxed and neutral and your chest open. Inhale slowly, from the abdomen, and fill your lungs to capacity. Pause for three seconds then exhale slowly, using your tongue to make a buzzing sound, like a bee. Repeat three to five times, pausing for three seconds between each inhale and exhale.

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Alternate Nostril Breathing- Sit in a comfortable, upright position. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale slowly through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with your right ring finger, remove your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale slowly through the right nostril. Then, inhale through the right nostril, close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left nostril. Repeat three times.

Mastering how to use these breathing techniques effectively takes time. The first time I tried breathing exercises I was on my fourth night of not sleeping at all and after 40 LONG minutes I finally calmed my mind and lulled myself finally. to. bed. It has gotten a lot better since then. I have even found myself practicing the conscious breath exercise on the train, like the other day when I was on the train and it was stopped for over 20 minutes underground. For whatever reason I started to freak out. Badly. I felt so claustrophobic and anxious and needed to try and pull myself together and trust me it helped so much. I hope these exercises help you and please feel free to pass along any anxiety tips that have helped you, I'd love to hear!

*A great site with many resources with coping with anxiety.

* Advice from a twenty something on breathing exercises.