BREATHE AWAY YOUR STRESS!

 

PauloPacifici founder of DeRose Method UK and one of our collaborating specialist provides a simple approach on how to view and manage stress through your breath:

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. It is our relationship with stress that is damaging our health and well-being. 

Life would be boring and uninteresting without some stress. However, the challenge we face today is that we have lost the ability to manage our stress and control it. Stress has become a wild animal in some people, uncontrollable, dangerous and harmful, but if we were able to control our stress, we could channel it in the right way, being able to switch it off when necessary and not allowing it to consume us.

There are many ways to control stress, one of the most effective tools is breathwork. Your breath and stress are directly connected, and you can in fact manage your stress through your breath, even if you don't change any of the mindset which triggered it. 

 

Here I share with you an exercise you can start applying straight away to aid in reducing stress: 

Sit comfortably and connect to your breath. Realise the natural flow of air, in and out, check if your breathing is strictly nasal during inhalation and exhalation. Then connect to your lower abdomen, your diaphragm. Expand your abdomen out every time you inhale, and move your abdomen inwards every time you exhale. So, memorise this rule, air in, tummy out, air out, tummy in. Once you manage your diaphragmatic breathing, the next step is to set a rhythm in your breath. 

We could use many traditional ones, but here I will share with you the practise of square breathing, as it is simple to apply and enjoyable for everyone. You inhale in one time, let's say 4 seconds, hold your breath in 4 seconds, exhale in 4 seconds and keep your empty lungs in 4 seconds too. So, every part of your breathing is 4 seconds. Don't forget to use your abdomen to breathe, it is fundamental! 

Execute this exercise for at least 5 minutes, any time of the day, and you will feel an immediate reduction in your stress levels, as well as your heart rate.

 

Credit: Paolo Pacifi, Founder of DeRose Method UK, Meditation Specialist