I was enjoying time with a friend recently, and she shared how stressed she has been. She has felt tense, tight and heavy, and her Oura ring confirmed her times and level of stress. I have noticed often with her that she has very shallow breathing, so I asked her to take a few deep breaths for me. When she did, her breath was clavicle and in her upper chest, and her shoulders went up toward her ears. I shared with her some breathing tips and exercises, and she has since sent me the sweetest email sharing how much better she is feeling by simply changing the way she breathes.
When we are tired or stressed, our breathing tends to become more shallow, making it more difficult to relax and causes muscle tension, often in our shoulders. I recommend trying some of these breathing exercises to ease tension and reduce stress. Inhales and exhales should all be through the nose. Keep the breath smooth, not forced. Sit tall, with your shoulders relaxed. Focus on the breath and let thoughts pass. Do as many rounds as you have time for, keeping in mind, that 4-5 breaths can be enough.
· Belly Breathing-Put a hand on your belly and take a deep inhale, inflating your belly, not just your chest, then exhale slowly as you relax the belly. Repeat, breathing fully and deeply, focused on sending the breath to the belly.
· Alternate Nostril Breathing- Close the right nostril with your thumb, inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with one of your free fingers, exhale out the right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril. Close the right nostril, and exhale through the left. Repeat.
· Box breathing-Inhale to a 4 count (1-2-3-4), hold the breath to a 4 count, exhale to a 4 count, hold empty to a 4 count. Repeat. If you feel comfortable lengthening the count to 5 or 6, then that works, too.