Relaxation Through Deep Breathing

How can we maintain our physical and mental well-being in the face of modern life’s daily stresses and challenges? Identifying and tackling the primary source of stress is obviously the most effective stress-management strategy. However, no matter how hard we try, we cannot avoid feeling tense and anxious for various reasons from time to time. When you feel tense and anxious, you may experience accelerated heartbeat as well as disturbance in breathing. The following is a set of simple but effective Deep Breathing exercise which can help you regulate your nervous system, revitalize your body as well as soothe your mind and body.

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie on
2. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing
3. Inhale deeply, feel your abdomen expand and take in fresh oxygen; hold your breath and mentally count from 1 to 5. As you inhale, imagine new energy entering and sending warm and pleasant sensations through your body
4. Exhale and slowly release the air from your lungs. As you exhale, imagine that the tension and unpleasant sensations are gradually leaving your body
5. Repeat this deep and even breathing at a rate of 2 to 3 times per minute
6. Continue to breathe in and out slowly and deeply for 10 to 15 minutes, your breathing and heartbeat will gradually become stable and your body will feel increasingly calm and relaxed

The advantages of Deep Breathing include its simplicity and convenience. Regardless of the time and location, you can reduce tension as well as feel relaxed and revitalized within minutes by monitoring and regulating your breathing.

Let’s watch this short video and practice a 3-minute mindfulness exercise following Sammy Leung’s voice. If you are interested in learning other breathing techniques, check out this short video.

However, Deep Breathing is just one of the many ways to achieve relaxation. There are many other commonly used methods which can be equally if not more effective for you. These may include exercising, taking a walk, chatting with a friend, reading a book, watching TV, playing with your pet, etc. These are all healthy choices which you can continue to pursue regularly if they can bring you a sense of pleasure and release from daily tension. The most important thing is to be continuously aware of your physical and mental state and to be able to use the most effective way to reduce tension and restore balance when necessary.