Take a deeper breath: stop stress in its tracks by breathing with your belly

Natural Health, March, 2006 by Sarah D. Smith

JUST BREATHE is more than cheap advice; this simple, vital act is a panacea for the wound-up, stressed-out, or energy-depleted.

Although we breathe more than 17,000 times a day, most of us don't know how to do it right. "People tend to breathe shallowly," explains Dennis Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life.

It's common to store stress and emotional baggage in the belly, he says, causing the abdomen to tense up and close itself off. This leads to quick, shallow chest breathing, which can trigger fatigue, anxiety, and a loss of carbon dioxide, constricting arteries and blood vessels. Breathe more fully with your belly and you'll ease mind and muscle tension and lower your blood pressure.

Start by paying attention to your breath--don't try to alter it, just assess it: Does it stop at your chest or fill your belly? Where do you feel constricted?

Next, train yourself to belly breathe using the technique below. If you practice regularly, your breath will begin to spontaneously deepen, and you'll routinely recruit your belly. That's when you can begin to enjoy the calm and focused energy that's available to you with every single breath.

RESPIRE RIGHT: Practice this daily yoga technique from Richard Rosen, author of The Yoga of Breath.

(1) Lie on your back with your hands placed on your belly. Think of your midsection as a pot that contains the organs of your abdomen. Exhale through your nose, and mentally scoop out the pot until it's empty.

(2) Inhale through the nose, directing your attention to the base of the now-empty pot and feel where your breath moves and where it doesn't move.

(3) Visualize a flashlight shining on the areas your breath doesn't reach. Don't force the breath into those areas, just illuminate them with your "flashlight"--your breath will naturally follow your attention.

(4) Continue breathing this way for 15 minutes, feeling your hands begin to rise and fall with every breath: Your abdomen will expand with each inhalation and contract with each exhalation.