Breathing techniques and breathing exercises. Breathing techniques for anxiety

Increased anxiety deprives you of sleep and rest, prevents you from enjoying life. Proper breathing will be a much more effective solution to the problem than sedative pills.

We live in an age where the epidemic of AIDS and bird flu, kamikaze terrorists and air crashes leading to mass deaths have become the backdrop of our daily lives. And even people who are not inclined to dramatize events periodically experience unmotivated anxiety attacks. Suddenly, sometimes even for no apparent reason, the heartbeat quickens, chest cramps occur, and profuse sweating begins. Such manifestations can provoke serious psychological problems: people suffer from sleep and appetite disorders, they are afraid to fly on an airplane and visit crowded places, and in the most severe cases, just leave the house. Sometimes anxiety provokes the development of depression, leads to drug abuse.

“Anxiety is mainly caused by two emotions: anger and longing,” says Gay Hendrix, Ph.D., author of Mindful Breathing: Breathing Exercises for Health, Stress Relief, and Personal Victory. “People experience anxiety when they are unable to manage their anger or don't know how to deal with problem situations."

When we experience anger, anxiety, or fear, it becomes difficult for us to breathe. This happens because the diaphragmatic muscle is constrained and, when inhaled, it stops letting air into the lower parts of the lungs, as a result, they cannot fully expand and fill with air. “When oxygen supply is limited, a danger signal is sent to the brain, which exacerbates the state of neurosis,” explains Jonathan Davidson, who led research on mental disorders and traumatic stress at Duke University Medical Center. - Breathing quickens, becomes intermittent and superficial. There is hyperventilation of the lungs, which in extreme cases can lead to a panic attack.”

Intuitively, we feel that breathing helps to cope with anxiety. When a person is agitated, talks too fast, or, conversely, looks exhausted and depressed, we often advise him: "Calm down and breathe deeply." Prana, or the universal life force, the energy that surrounds us, is also present in the breath. Inhaling and exhaling is one of the most powerful and at the same time the easiest way to interact with the world. It can be said that the way we breathe largely determines the way we live.

It's scary to live

Neurosis is one of the most common neuropsychiatric diagnoses in the world. The most common forms are:

General nervous breakdown - causeless anxiety and dramatization of what is happening;

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or the inability to control unwanted thoughts or actions; a state of panic or attacks of intense unreasonable fear, which can lead to the appearance of physiological symptoms, such as abdominal pain, and heart palpitations;

Phobias or irrational fears;

Post-traumatic stress, which is defined as the fear that haunts a person who has experienced mental trauma.

Treatment of neurosis can be carried out in different ways - from psychotherapy and medication to relaxing techniques, including diaphragmatic conscious breathing or pranayama. Pranayama has been scientifically proven to be the most effective treatment in some cases. By practicing it, you act directly on the source of the problem. By slowing down the rhythm of a busy life and restoring psychological and physiological balance, you dispel anxiety.

Which method of treatment to choose, everyone decides for himself. Some remain adherents of traditional medicine, others prefer working with breathing. With the help of pranayama, you can learn to relax, free yourself from fears and restore a balanced state of mind.

In the 1970s, Herbert Benson, Ph.D., founder of the Medical Institute for Mental Health at Harvard Medical School, discovered that the practice of transcendental meditation lowered blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health, and helped manage stress. Now the study of the therapeutic effects of meditation is a separate scientific direction. This once again proves that our mind is able to heal the body.

In 1992, John Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., founder of the Center for Consciousness at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, published a study on psychotherapy. He argued that meditation is an effective way to overcome the symptoms of panic and neuroses. Three years later, the study was conducted again and the healing power of meditation was confirmed again. As a result, a growing number of scientists are turning their attention to the study of the effectiveness of breathing as a tool for calming the body and mind, capable of curbing neuroses.

For example, the 1990 study "Biofeedback and Self-Regulation" looked at the impact of slow breathing practices on alcohol-addicted people with nervous disorders. The subjects who were asked to slow their breathing down to 10 cycles per minute (the average person breathes at a rate of 14-16 cycles per minute) felt much calmer at the end of the exercise compared to those who were simply asked to relax without any special technique. A 1996 study conducted at the Tokyo Central Hospital in Japan concluded that people with reduced breathing rates showed a less violent response to an electric shock than those who were asked to breathe rapidly or normally.

“Breathing and the mind go hand in hand,” explains Swami Karunananda, Senior Lecturer at Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia. He specializes in the use of pranayama to deal with fear, aggression and depression - frequent companions of neurosis. “If our breathing is calm, steady and even, then we ourselves are relaxed and balanced. But if the breathing is frequent, intermittent and irregular, our mind also loses the ability to concentrate.

However, a person cannot always relax by slowing down his inhalations and exhalations, even if he agrees with the statement that neurotic states are the result of improper breathing. For some people, relaxation is another cause for concern. They get nervous trying to let go of the tension, as this is too unusual for them and they are very afraid of failure. However, a person can destroy his own stereotypes associated with breathing, which exacerbate anxiety. You can learn to breathe differently - this is the key to understanding the effects of pranayama.

Second wind

What does it take to learn how to breathe correctly? First of all, you need to understand the psychological basis of the respiratory rhythm. We usually breathe without being aware of this process. At a critical moment, when it is necessary to activate all possible resources of the body, a “second wind” comes to the rescue. Our brain registers a signal of danger, the heartbeat quickens, the endocrine system begins to release adrenaline and cortisol into the blood, which give additional strength, which is so necessary in a stressful situation. At the same time, the digestive system is blocked, and breathing quickens, filling the lungs with oxygen.

The manifestation of such "superpowers" of the body can really be a salvation in a critical situation, but they should be used only as a last resort. And when such a mobilization of forces occurs without sufficient reason, it can provoke serious attacks of panic and anxiety. In some cases, these conditions are accompanied by hyperventilation of the lungs. Rapid breathing leads to the fact that the body needs to remove carbon dioxide more often. A low level of this gas leads to an increase in the alkali content in the body, which inevitably increases hyperventilation even more. As a result, a vicious circle is formed, which not only speeds up various processes in the body, but also affects the ability of the blood to release oxygen to nourish tissues.

“Breaking this breathing stereotype is as difficult as understanding the chicken-and-egg dilemma,” said Robert Goisman, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. “When people are anxious, they start to breathe faster, and as a result, carbon dioxide levels drop and hyperventilation only increases anxiety, and they begin to feel like they are on the verge of a heart attack or stroke,” explains Goisman. “And until a person understands that you can just slow down the rate of breathing, instinct will make him breathe quickly and heavily.”

Yoga teacher Barbara Benag knows firsthand about the sensations that arise from the appearance of a "second wind", which causes panic and fear. For years, her chronic asthma made her feel like a swimmer caught in a whirlpool. “Anxiety is a constant companion in the life of an asthmatic,” she recalls. - When I realized that it was all about panic and lack of self-control, I wanted to figure out where this fear comes from, why the body gives false alarms, and the body responds to them without fail, demonstrating full combat readiness. Gradually, thanks to the work with breathing, I learned to control the process and I can regulate the chemical reactions in the body myself.”

Anyone who has ever experienced panic or anxiety knows that it feeds on itself. “By changing your breathing, you break the vicious circle, gaining peace and confidence,” says Benag. “Anxiety builds up over years, only to turn into panic at some point and ruin your life.”

I will part the clouds with my hands

According to Patanjali, pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga. It should be practiced only after mastering the asanas, as it requires more skill and ability to concentrate. Here consciousness controls the respiratory cycles, directing the movement of universal energy.

“Pranayama creates a sense of higher self-awareness by dispelling anxiety,” says Kundalini yoga practitioner Dharma Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., who coauthored Meditation as Medicine with Cameron Stauf (Fireside, 2002). – If you look at it from a spiritual point of view, we will see that people who experience anxiety, first of all, lack connection with their inner self. The peculiarity of breathing is that we are able to control this seemingly absolutely automatic process. “This fact alone,” says Singh Khalsa, “is inspiring to learn the art of breathing. This means we can make anxiety leave us forever.” Yogis also believe that proper breathing increases the amount of prana that enters the body, strengthening our connection with the world. Singh Khalsa notes in his book that pranayama helps to increase awareness in every moment, to be in a state of "here and now." Old stereotypes that cause anxiety are leaving life.

“By calling on the breathing technique, you can achieve amazing results and endlessly enjoy the simplest things,” writes Singh Khalsa. “Use every opportunity to stop, take a deep breath, bring the energy up, and then exhale through your nose again. This will help you to always remain calm, collected, relaxed and balanced.”

World Ocean

In pranayama, there are many techniques of different levels of complexity. Here are some of the most common: Nadi Shodhana - alternate nostril breathing; Kapalabhati - quick inhalations and exhalations, clearing the sinuses; Ujjayi pranayama - a technique in which the inhalations and exhalations are lengthened; Antara kumbhaka - holding the breath after inhalation; and Bahya kumbhaka - holding the breath after exhalation.

One of the easiest ways to prepare for the practice of pranayama is to sit in a comfortable position and observe the sound of your breath. “I ask my students to first let the breath relax the body, then listen to its rhythm and hear its rocking ocean sounds,” says Barbara Benagh. “Once you melt into the natural sounds of your inhalation and exhalation, you will begin to create fear-free breathing that will calm your body, lower your pulse and lower your blood pressure.”

Breath work helps people who have experienced a terrible tragedy in their lives. Laura Knight, who lost her 11-year-old son, the practice of pranayama allowed not only to cope with grief, but also to maintain control over herself in stressful situations. She also helped her overcome her fear: despite her fear of heights, Laura enrolled in a hang gliding section and, being asthmatic, took up rock climbing. “There was a time when I was constantly in a state of stress. Laura recalls. “Now I am calm even in those situations that previously inevitably provoked my fears.”

Laura Knight recently graduated from a yoga teacher training course. Before her first class, Knight used Ujjayi Pranayama to calm her nerves. “Breathing is a serious tool. Now I can sort out any situation and work with it,” she says.

Hello everyone, dear blog readers! You already know how much harm stress can cause, causing various diseases, shaking the sense of inner balance and, in general, developing into a prolonged depression, provoking suicide. It is not always possible to prevent it, as well as deal with the consequences, but knowing certain methods, such as breathing techniques for calming, for example, it is quite possible to do this.

general information

Let's start with the fact that the state of the nervous system is very closely related to breathing, or to be more precise, with its frequency. Therefore, it is very important to observe the rhythm, depth and speed, because it depends on this whether you relax, or vice versa, become more active. It is not for nothing that women are taught proper breathing before childbirth, which helps to anesthetize and relax the body during contractions, and then during attempts.

Since today we are struggling with stress, you need to breathe slowly and measuredly, then you will fill every cell of the body with oxygen, which will help normalize pressure, help the nervous system return to normal and, of course, relieve muscle tension.

Breath types

1. Clavicular - the uppermost part of the lungs is filled with air, while you can see how the shoulders and collarbones move. This type does not oxygenate our body at all and is used during meditation in order to concentrate on internal processes, gradually moving to deeper breathing.
2. Thoracic - accordingly, the movement of the diaphragm is noticeable, the chest and ribs expand and narrow in the process. It also does not completely saturate the body, reaching only the middle of the lungs, leaving their lower part unfilled. Usually seen in women.
3. Abdominal. The diaphragm goes down, and then the stomach protrudes, which most women are embarrassed by, choosing a more aesthetic chest type, therefore it is more natural for men.
4. Complete - provides stress relief, as all of the above organs are involved. By saturating cells with oxygen, it improves not only physical health, but also emotional state.

Execution rules

1. The rules are a bit similar to those that I already gave you in previous articles, for example in the article . Let me remind you that the posture should be comfortable for you, no matter if you prefer to sit or lie down in the process, the main thing is that your back is even.
2. It is forbidden to practice on an empty or full stomach. It should be taken at least one hour after eating.
3. In order not to be distracted and fully concentrate, it is recommended to close your eyes, and of course, not pay attention to the thoughts that arise in your head.
4. For each of the exercises there should be at least 10 approaches, with breaks, in case you decide to try other techniques. .
5. Visualize each inhalation and exhalation, imagining how clean, warm and bright energy fills every part of your body, and dirty energy leaves the body. I wrote about visualization here « ».
6. The best effect will be if you place yourself on the street, in extreme cases near an open window.
7. When dizziness appears, this indicates hyperventilation, that is, oversaturation with oxygen, take a break and breathe into your closed palms, the carbon dioxide released on exhalation will bring you back to normal.

Exercises

1. Sama-vritti

To begin with, let's master the simplest, but at the same time effective method, which is called Sama-vritti. You should inhale through the nose, count to four, and only then exhale with the same count. Over time, you can increase the pauses, counting up to six or eight, as you feel more comfortable. By the way, it helps to distract yourself if you feel that you are losing control of yourself, especially at the time of conflict. Leave the room for a couple of minutes, do this exercise and then you will feel that you are calming down.

2. Gymnastics

And this gymnastics will help you relax just before the expected tense event, you just have to take care of the opportunity to lie down in advance, because standing will not have the same effect. Lie down, put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. After taking a very slow and deep breath, concentrate your attention on how the diaphragm rises, and oxygen saturates the entire body. In the same way, exhale slowly and measuredly. Consider to yourself that it takes at least 10 seconds for one inhalation-exhalation, since there should be no more than 8 of them per minute, optimally six.

3. Nadi shondhana

It helps to connect both parts of the brain together in one process, then a person achieves a sense of inner balance and balance. To do this, close one nostril with your hand and inhale through the free one, but at the end, when the lungs are almost full, you need to close the open nostril and exhale through the opposite one. Do this for 5 minutes at a comfortable pace.

4. Pranayama

There are very interesting breathing practices in yoga, which are called pranayama, which means control of vital energy. Ujjayi pranayama is very interesting. It is done in any position of the body, and is remarkable in that it is natural during sleep, when our consciousness is turned off. Therefore, it is also called mental breathing, which not only relaxes, but also helps with insomnia.

It is useful for sensitive people who perceive events too close to their hearts, which causes psychosomatic illnesses. Position yourself as you like, fill your lungs with air and release it through both nostrils, only slightly reducing the glottis. A barely audible hissing sound will indicate the correct execution, as if the kettle is starting to boil.

Breathing is required in stages, that is, starting from the collarbones, moving to the chest and abdominal view, focusing all attention on the sound that comes from the throat.

5. Another pranayama - Shitali

To do this, you need to sit in a comfortable meditative position, I talked about them in the article at the link above. . Closing your eyes, try to stick your tongue out so that there is no tension, and wrap it in a tube. If you don’t know how, just try to lift the sides up. And, as you guessed, air should be passed through this tube, only exhaled through the nose.

When performed correctly, you will hear a noise like a breath of wind, and the tip of the tongue will cool. Do at first no more than 9 times, eventually increasing the number of cycles up to 15 times. In summer, when it is very hot, this method will help to cool down a little. You already know that yoga is very good for the body, and its followers claim that by practicing Shitali, you can not only relieve stress, but also heal stomach ulcers, lower blood pressure and remove toxins.

6.Express method

If you urgently need to regain your ability to think clearly, getting rid of anxiety, anger and other experiences, this express method will suit you. It can be performed even while standing, unnoticed by others. You should take a deep breath, which should start from the abdomen, moving into the chest, then into the collarbones. That is, perform the wave in reverse, which takes two seconds in time. Then hold the air for five seconds, and exhale it, also counting to five. After a pause, again in 5 seconds, repeat all over again. Only 6 approaches, and you will be calm.

7. If you have a busy day ahead

Try this exercise in the morning as soon as you wake up. So you fill every cell with oxygen and energy, which is enough to cope with the upcoming difficulties without harm to health.

It is necessary to stand straight, straighten your shoulders and press your hands to your body. Close your eyes and take a measured, calm breath, rising on your tiptoes. Hold for two to three seconds, and then also slowly lower yourself to a full foot. It is enough to perform six times, only now alternately rising on the left, then on the right foot.

8. Tibetan techniques

They help to strengthen the nervous system, only they need to be performed every day. You can start with holding your breath, which is of two types:

• Empty lungs. As you exhale, draw in your stomach as much as possible to feel how the muscles tense up, starting from the pubis and ending with the navel.
• Full. In the same way, we draw in and strain the stomach, only the air must not be completely released, but part of it must be kept in the lungs for about four seconds.

9. Ordinary yawning will also help us relax.

It occurs in us when the body is oversaturated with carbon dioxide, which it becomes possible to get rid of through this process. Yawning releases tension from the facial muscles and helps renew the air in the chest. So open your mouth wide and allow yourself to yawn as many times as it takes to feel relaxed.

10. In especially difficult critical situations, you can connect affirmations

I talked about them in the article. You should close your eyes, take a deep breath and say to yourself “I calm down” or “I relax”, it is important that the second part of the sentence already sounds on the exhale. Repeat at least 6 times.

Conclusion

And that’s all for today, dear readers! Try to perform all of the above exercises, focusing on the most comfortable and easiest for you. Take care of yourself and be calm!

You read these lines without stopping breathing. Inhale-exhale. A process that happens "by itself". But if you learn how to manage it, you can forget about diseases, excess weight and stress. Master your breathing techniques!

12:43 24.04.2014

Breathing is the basis of life. With each breath, the cells of the body are fed with oxygen, due to which they function. With each exhalation, metabolic products are removed from them. Try not to breathe. How long can you stand? Forty seconds? Sixty?

The average person can hold their breath for five minutes at the most. Then irreversible destructive processes in the body will begin to occur. Conversely, by learning to control your breathing, you will significantly improve your condition. By controlling in a certain way the duration of inhalation and exhalation, their frequency and depth, you can increase vitality, forever forget about depression and insomnia, say goodbye to extra pounds, avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract, recover from hypertension and other diseases.

The possibilities of breathing techniques are enormous! Give classes 15 minutes a day, and soon you yourself will feel positive changes. Provided that you practice regularly and do everything right. The exercises below are for beginners. If you want to deepen your knowledge, read the recommended books or attend group classes where an experienced trainer will check the correctness of the exercises.

The body is fine!

Consultant: Vyacheslav Smirnov, yoga instructor.

Proven for thousands of years, yoga breathing techniques cleanse the mind and rejuvenate the body. Previously, they were available only to the elite, now everyone can master them.

According to Eastern teachings, the air that you inhale carries not only oxygen, but also energy - prana. Breath control - pranayama - helps to accumulate and store it in the body. As a result of the use of technology, energy begins to freely circulate throughout the body, the internal organs are healed and the nervous system is harmonized.

On the physical level, pranayama acts as a lung trainer. To tighten your muscles, you use strength exercises. And in order to “pump up” the respiratory muscles, you need breathing techniques. Otherwise, it will atrophy in the literal sense of the word. This will lead to disruption of the pelvic organs, can cause chronic inflammation of the kidneys, weaken the function of the intestines.

The theory is confirmed by the facts - almost 90% of women have disorders of the genitourinary system. They are easy to avoid or correct if you regularly practice simple breathing exercises. With their help, the abdominal muscles are tightened, tension in the spine is eliminated, stress and fatigue are perfectly relieved. You can perform pranayama at any time, but it is better on an empty stomach. It will energize you in the morning and prepare you for sleep in the evening.

Pranayama: Away with tiredness and sickness!

To enhance the effect of exercise, imagine that you are inhaling pure energy and exhaling fatigue. Gradually, you can supplement the respiratory complex with yoga exercises.

1. Belly breathing. This breath is used in all exercises. It can be done standing, sitting, lying down or while walking. Relax, slightly tighten the pelvic floor, keep your back straight. Inhale starting from the belly. At the same time, its upper part should rise, the chest remains motionless. As you exhale, lower your upper abdomen and pull in your lower abdomen. Breathe like this for 5-10 minutes.

2. Energy spiral. It is most convenient to perform while walking, but can be done in any position. Breathe in through your belly for four counts. Hold your breath for two counts. Then exhale for four counts. Again, hold your breath for two counts. You will get a breath according to the scheme 4:2:4:2. Breathe like this for 5-10 minutes. After a few weeks, when you feel that you have fully mastered this type of breathing, move on to a gradual lengthening of each component. Breathe according to the scheme - 4:4:4:4, then 4:4:8:4, 8:4:8:4, 8:8:8:8, etc.

3. Breath of five hearts. Best done lying down. Relax, close your eyes. Inhale through five points - the centers of the palms, the centers of the feet, and the crown. Imagine how the energy of the air goes through the arms, legs, through the internal organs to the stomach. As you exhale, imagine how the energy from the abdomen comes out through five points. Breathe for 5 minutes.

Read! B. K. S. Iyengar, Pranayama Dpika.

Slim in two weeks!

Consultant: Ekaterina Tarasova, body flex trainer.

The bodyflex system is an alternative to the gym. Performing a simple set of exercises, you can lose up to 10 kilograms without much effort in a few weeks!

One of the reasons for weight gain is a disturbed metabolism. In this case, diets only help maintain weight at a certain level. But one has only to give yourself a slack in the diet, as those extra pounds are right there! To part with them forever, you need to eliminate the cause of their accumulation. One of the ways to normalize metabolism is breathing exercises according to the bodyflex system. During training, the body is saturated with oxygen. As a result, the metabolism accelerates, kilograms go away, and the load on the muscles helps to burn fat in problem areas.

In addition, the skin is tightened, becomes more elastic, cellulite disappears. Enough 10-15 minutes of classes a day, so that after a few weeks others were struck by your harmony and smartness. Remember, charging should be regular! First you need to master the breathing itself, and then move on to breathing exercises. It is best to do them in the morning or on an empty stomach. To control the process, measure yourself in the waist, hips, lower abdomen. Do this at the end of each week of class and record the results. If you work hard, but there is no visible effect, most likely, you are breathing incorrectly. Attend a training session where they will help you find and correct mistakes.

Bodyflex: hold on!

In the first week of training, increase your fluid intake, while reducing the amount of salty foods, and try not to eat 3 hours before bedtime. This will help you get fit even faster.

1. Breathing exercise. Exhale all the air through your mouth. Close your mouth and inhale sharply through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, trying to empty your lungs of air as much as possible. Close your mouth and hold your breath. At the same time, tilt your head to the jugular fossa and draw in your stomach. Hold your breath, counting up to 8 (in the beginning, you can do up to 3, the main thing is that the delay is performed correctly). It is at this stage that the exercises are performed. Relax, inhale and release the abdominal muscles. Breathe freely for a while. The scheme of the breathing exercise looks like this: exhale-inhale-exhale-hold the breath (we draw in the stomach and perform the exercise)-inhale.

2. For the abdomen, hips and back. Get on all fours, body weight - on your knees and palms. The back is straight, the head is raised, look straight ahead. Perform a breathing exercise, while holding, take the main pose: tilt your head and at the same time arch your back as high as possible. Breathe in and relax. Repeat the exercise three times.

3. For arms and shoulder girdle. Sit in a comfortable position or stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, lock your hands in front of you (fingers, not palms). Slightly rounded back, elbows pointing up. Do a breathing exercise. On a delay, take the main pose: the fingers rest against each other as much as possible. Feel the muscle tension all over your arm and in your chest. Breathe in. Repeat the exercise three times.

4. For the waist. Put your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees a little, place your palms just above your knees, head looks forward. Do a breathing exercise. On a delay, take the main pose: move the elbow of the left hand to the bent left knee, raise the right hand and stretch it over the head. You should feel the muscles stretch from your waist to your armpits. Breathe in. Take a breath. Do three times on each side.

Read! Greer Childers "Gorgeous figure in 15 minutes a day."

To breathe easier

Organ breathing. It is used in the Norbekov health system. Relaxing, you breathe into the problem area of ​​the body, imagining it to be healthy.

Breath for pregnant women. In special classes, they teach how to breathe during childbirth. Proper breathing greatly facilitates the process of the birth of the baby.

Buteyko method. It is based on the theory that an excess of oxygen is harmful (!) For the body. Buteyko denies the benefits of deep breathing, his entire technique is based on shallow breathing.

Rebirthing. With the help of breathing techniques, a person plunges into a trance, during which he experiences a rebirth, at the same time solving some psychological problems. A variation of rebirthing is holotropic breathing. Such techniques are stressful for the body. They can only be practiced under the supervision of an experienced trainer.

NB! Breathing exercises have a very powerful effect, so it is important to perform them correctly so as not to harm yourself. This is especially true for breath-holding techniques. So listen to your inner feelings. There should be no discomfort during class. If your heart rate increases, dizziness appears, take a break or reduce the load. The main criterion for the correct execution is your condition. After training, cheerfulness, lightness, calmness should appear, and not vice versa. If you have a serious illness, consult a specialist. Perhaps he will select a complex for you individually. With exacerbations, it is better to postpone classes altogether.

Prana is the link between body, mind and consciousness. It is a constant movement of awareness. Prana carries awareness to the object of perception, and this movement of awareness through prana is called attention . The internal movement of prana is the movement of sensation, thought, feeling and emotion. Thus, prana and mind are deeply interconnected.

The physical manifestation of prana - breath Therefore, breath and mind are also closely related to each other. In Ayurveda, breathing is seen as the physical part of the mind and thinking as the mental part of the breath. Every thought changes the rhythm of breathing and every breath changes the rhythm of thinking. When a person is happy, blissful and silent, his breathing is rhythmic. If he is disturbed by fear, anxiety, or nervousness, his breathing becomes uneven and irregular.

Rishis, Vedic seers, discovered this close relationship between breath and mental activity and created the art of pranayama. Pranayama is prana plus ayam. Ayam means "to control" and prana means "breath". By controlling the breath, we can control mental activity.

Six breathing exercises

Pranayama "Alternating nostrils"

Simple and at the same time effective breathing exercise- this is pranayama "Alternating Nostrils".

1. Perform this exercise while sitting comfortably on the floor with your legs crossed and your back straight. If this position is uncomfortable for you, sit upright on the front of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at right angles.

2. Close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand and inhale through the left nostril. Breathe deeply into your belly, not your chest.

3. After inhaling, hold your breath for a short while.

4. Exhale through the right nostril, holding the left with the little finger and ring finger of the right hand.

5. Repeat the first three steps, this time starting with inhalation through the right nostril (pinching the left with the little finger and ring finger).

This breathing exercise can be done for 5-10 minutes.

Sitali pranayama (cooling breath)

Roll your tongue into a tube. Inhale slowly through your curled tongue, swallow, and then exhale through your nose in the normal way, keeping your mouth closed. You will feel how the incoming air cools the saliva, tongue and membranes of the oral mucosa.

Such breathing is useful for calming increased pitta. It lowers the temperature of the mouth, makes saliva cold, helps suppress thirst, and improves digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food. Sitali is effective for high blood pressure, burning tongue or throat, cutting (burning) in the eyes. It cools the whole body.

If you cannot roll your tongue into a tube, then there is another way to perform Sitali - slightly clench your teeth and press your tongue against them. In this case, you inhale air through your teeth. Because some people feel pain when they draw in cold air through their teeth, pressing the tongue against their teeth will warm them up and prevent this discomfort.

Bhastrika pranayama (breath of fire)

it breathing exercise increases lung capacity, relieves allergies and asthma, and helps keep lungs strong and healthy. In addition, it warms the whole body.

Inhale passively (through the nose), and exhale actively and with little effort. Start slowly, gradually increasing the speed. Imagine a steam locomotive moving slowly and picking up speed. Do a cycle of 30 exhalations, then rest for a minute. You can perform up to five cycles in the morning and five in the evening.

Bhramari pranayama (humming breath)

When inhaling, tighten the epiglottis so that a humming sound is produced. On exhalation, the sound should be low and long. Tradition says that a higher inhalation sound is like a bee's buzz, and a deeper exhalation sound is like a bumblebee's buzz (when expressing surprise, this sound occurs naturally with inhalation through the nose. It also occurs spontaneously on inhalation with fright or sudden pain, but this is usually inhaled through the mouth.This sound will be obtained if you try to pronounce the letter "n" while inhaling with your mouth closed.As you exhale, you can pronounce the letter "m" for this purpose).

If you find it difficult to make a humming sound as you inhale, simply inhale deeply with your belly and make a humming sound as you exhale.

While performing Bhramari, lightly touch the tip of your tongue to the soft palate near the back of the larynx. Make sure your teeth are not clenched.

Bhramari makes the voice more melodic. The buzz causes the nervous system to vibrate - it's a kind of brain sound therapy. In addition, it is useful for the thyroid, parathyroid and thymus glands. Do ten breaths at a time.

Ujjayi pranayama (breath of victory)

Sit in Vajrasana or Lotus position with your hands on your knees, palms up. Keep your chest, neck and head in a straight line so that your spine is straight. Lightly press your chin to your chest, pulling your head back and at the same time lowering it to your chest. Bring your awareness to the throat area.

The next step may be a bit difficult for you. Be careful. Without actually swallowing, begin the swallowing motion to lift the larynx up. At the same time, tighten the epiglottis, as if silently "pronouncing" the letter "and", and slowly, deeply inhale from the stomach. The inhaled air will make a gentle hissing sound.

Inhaling, swallow and hold your breath for a short while, then slowly exhale, again contracting the epiglottis - as if buzzing, but at the same time making not a buzzing, but a hissing sound (this hissing sound is not at all difficult to produce both inhalation and exhalation, but it is more difficult to explain how to do it. You can say that this is the sound, like in Brahmari, but made in a whisper).

Performing Ujjayi is a great pleasure. The mind calms down, the intercostal muscles relax and there is actually a feeling of victory. Ujjayi has a beneficial effect on all three doshas and helps restore their original balanced combination - prakriti. This pranayama promotes longevity. Do twelve breaths at one time.

Surya bhedi pranayama (right nostril breathing)

To breathe through the right nostril only, plug the left nostril with cotton or lightly press it with the little finger and ring finger of the right hand. Inhale and exhale through the right nostril. Do ten breaths at a time. This pranayama activates the masculine, active aspect in the body and mind and improves digestion.

• Types of breathing
• YOGA
• BODYFLEX
• BUTEYKO RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• REBEFING
• VAYVATION
• HOLONOTROPIC BREATHING

The first thing a baby does after birth is to take a deep breath. The lungs expand and the baby lets out its first cry. This is a good sign, indicating that the baby was able to survive childbirth and is entering a new life. After that, he does not stop breathing until his death. Breathing is a natural process. We take a deep breath of fresh air, hold our breath for unpleasant odors or under water. Anxious moments in movies or books leave us breathless. Or we try not to breathe during the first kiss. However, in ordinary life, people do not pay attention to how they breathe. The process goes by itself, as it should. But proper breathing can bring our body into harmony, get rid of fullness, from multiple diseases. This is a whole science that needs to be learned. There are several breathing practices. If you master them, you can get rid of spiritual and physiological problems. It's amazing that something as natural as breathing can change our lives so much.

The benefits of breathing exercises

It is impossible to live long without breathing. Even our ancestors correlated this process with the soul. And the very word "breath" is similar to the word "soul". It is the breath that connects our spiritual state with the physical incarnation. It is breathing that allows us to understand our psyche. based on this connection, they help to achieve harmony between body and soul. If you learn how to breathe correctly, you can be cured of many diseases. This is diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and sexual dysfunction. Naturally, breathing practices can improve the performance of the respiratory system. Another positive quality of exercise - opportunity to lose weight. Many overweight girls have been able to lose those extra pounds thanks to proper breathing. Unfortunately, most people do not take this process seriously, do not believe in the benefits of breathing exercises. But the result of proper breathing is simply stunning.

Types of breathing

To obtain oxygen and release carbon dioxide, we use the respiratory organs - the nasal cavity, trachea, bronchi, lungs, etc. Sometimes some organs perform the function of others, for example, with a cold, when the nose is blocked, we inhale air through the mouth. Although we use the same complex of organs of the respiratory system, we breathe differently. Breathing can be

YOGA

Yoga is a system of exercises that allows a person to learn to control the spiritual and physiological functions of the body. This system operates with the concept of "prana". The Vedas and Upanishads, the oldest Hindu texts, speak of prana. There is food and breathing prana that allows you to maintain human life. Breathing exercises in yoga are called Pranayama - the fourth level of Ashtanga yoga. With the help of breathing, you can learn to control prana.

Yoga technique is mixed or full breathing. It is characterized by the opening and ventilation of the lungs. Breathing practice allows you to achieve the following results:

• excellent ventilation of the lungs;
• saturation of the body with oxygen;
• pressure reduction;
• improved metabolism;
• restoration of the nervous system;
• increased immunity.

Moreover, when performing breathing practice, your body is filled with life-giving prana, you gain balance and harmony.

First you need to sit in Turkish, facing north (south for women), close your eyes and straighten your back. At the same time, the hands are on the knees, and the fingers are collected in Jnani mudra. First, exhale deeply so that the air completely leaves the lungs. You need to start with abdominal breathing. To do this, stick out your stomach. Feel the lower part of your lungs open up. Then comes the middle breathing - the chest rises, the air fills the middle part of the lungs. After that, lift your shoulders, fill the upper part of the lungs with oxygen. In this case, the stomach needs to be pulled in a little. When exhaling, the shoulders and chest drop. The breathing itself should be smooth and even. You should not exert effort or strain the internal organs. Feel what muscles work at each stage of breathing. Focus on prana, on the life-giving energy that fills your body with every breath. The breathing exercise includes 3-14 complete inhale-exhale cycles.

BREATHING GYMNASTICS STRELNIKOVA A.N.

Breathing exercises are a set of exercises that can fight against many ailments. Among them are bronchial asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, and diseases of the central nervous system, and deformities of the spine or chest. Strelnikova's technique is based on gas exchange. More air enters the lungs than usual, so gas exchange in the blood is stimulated. The exercises involve not only the respiratory system, but also the diaphragm, head, neck, and abdominals. Gymnastics involves the whole body, so its beneficial effect is so great.

Strelnikova's set of exercises is quite extensive. We will give three introductory exercises as an example.

• "Palms"

Breathing is like clapping your hands. You need to take 4 breaths through your nose, while exhaling through your mouth. Inhalation should be noisy and deep, and exhalation should be imperceptible and quiet. Every 4 breaths there is a pause of 3-5 seconds. Then the exercise is repeated. When inhaling, you need to clench your hands into fists, while resting, your hands fall. In total, 24 exercises of 4 breaths should be done. Shoulders and stomach are not involved in breathing. This exercise can cause slight dizziness. Then the pause between sets should be increased to 10 seconds.

This exercise involves 8 breaths in a row, without any stop. After the breaths, a short break for 4-5 seconds follows, after which the exercise is repeated again. "Shoulders" are performed while standing, hands should be pressed to the stomach. The fingers are clenched into fists. On exhalation, a sharp push is made with the hands to the floor without the participation of the shoulders. The arms should be fully extended. During exhalation, the hands are again pressed against the stomach. The exercise should be repeated 12 times for 8 breaths.

• "Pump"

Exercise should be done while standing. We lean towards the floor. In the middle of the tilt, a breath is taken through the nose, which ends with the tilt. Then you need to straighten up, bend over again and inhale. The exercise is performed 12 times for 8 breaths. After each figure eight rest 4-5 seconds.

Strelnikova's gymnastics also includes other exercises that involve the legs, neck and head. Some exercises need to be done while standing, others can be done while sitting. have an amazing effect on the body, but you need not to overdo it. Be sure to pause between sets, otherwise gymnastics can only do harm.

BODYFLEX

This technique is incredibly attractive in women. After all, it allows lose extra pounds without resorting to exhausting diets or exercise. Its author Greer Childers is a woman who lost weight after giving birth with just breathing. It only takes 15 minutes a day, but the benefits of exercise are much greater than those of diets and sports. This technology is suitable for women who do not have time for the gym or do not have the opportunity to go on a diet. The basis of the method is aerobic breathing and stretching. When exercising, the body is saturated with oxygen, which burns fat, and the muscles tense up and become elastic. Bodyflex is designed for people of any age. Breathing techniques for weight loss are best done in the morning, but any time will do. The main thing is 2 hours after eating.

Bodyflex includes several exercises, each of which allows you to fight excess weight, sagging skin or wrinkles. The breathing technique is performed in a certain position - as if you are going to sit on a chair. The pelvis needs to be taken back, put your feet shoulder-width apart, bend over and rest your hands on your hips. Then slowly exhale through the mouth, quickly and sharply inhale through the nose. After that, the air must be pushed out of the lungs with force, straining the diaphragm. Then we draw in the stomach and count to ourselves to 10. Now you can inhale.

In combination with stretching and exercises on the muscles of the face, an incredible effect is achieved. Centimeters are reduced, and the body becomes elastic and flexible.

BUTEYKO RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Novosibirsk doctor Konstantin Buteyko uses a completely different technique. According to his research, diseases do not occur due to a lack of oxygen in the body, but because of its excess. We release carbon dioxide that we think is harmful too quickly, so disease appears. According to Buteyko, shallow breathing should be practiced. His method allows you to get rid of bronchial asthma, diabetes, heart disease and metabolic disorders.

Gymnastics should be performed under the supervision of a specialist. To prescribe exercises, you need to undergo an assessment of lung function, measure the pulse, and calculate the control pause. The latter represents the time from inhalation to the subsequent desire to inhale. The normal control pause is 60 seconds or more. Another reason to exercise under medical supervision is the cleansing response. A person may feel unwell, accompanied by fever, vomiting and pain. However, Buteyko calls to consider this effect as a norm. Although modern scientists disagreed. Some believe that the technique is dangerous for the respiratory center, and British scientists consider shallow breathing effective and efficient.

LEO KOFFLER'S THREE-PHASE BREATHING SYSTEM

Leo Kofler is an opera singer. He developed his technique at the end of the 19th century. Then Kofler suffered tuberculosis, because of which he left the stage. To get back to what he loves, Kofler developed set of breathing exercises which allowed him to get rid of tuberculosis. His three-phase breathing system allows you to recover not only from consumption, but also from other lung diseases. This technique was supplemented, after which it was called the Kofler-Lobanova-Lukyanova method. The basis of the respiratory system is the training of the respiratory apparatus.

Three-phase breathing begins with exhalation. Only half of the air comes out of the lungs, then a pause follows. The pause must be kept until the body has a desire to inhale. After that, inhale through the nose and exhale. There is no pause between inhalation and exhalation. Exercises should be performed while standing, straightening your back.

This complex helps to train a uniform exhalation. Also, the Kofler-Lobanova-Lukyanova method includes the elimination of nasal overtones, the development of the muscles of the pharynx and an economical exhalation. The system allows you to expand the volume of the lungs, learn to sing or speak while performing rhythmic movements. This is especially true for singers who, during performances, must both dance and sing at the same time. Also, the technique allows you to cope with pulmonary diseases.

REBEFING

American Leonard Orr created a technique to get rid of negative thoughts. The term "rebirthing" itself comes from the English "rebirthing", which means "rebirth". According to Orr, a person experiences a birth trauma, which is deposited in the subconscious, negatively affecting his subsequent life. With the help of breathing, Orr offers to get rid of this trauma, as well as negative events that have an overwhelming effect on us. Rebirthing is a deeper method that includes not only breathing techniques, but also philosophy, a positive attitude. But this technique is controversial, because so far there have been no studies confirming its effectiveness.

Exercises should be performed under the supervision of a professional, but then, when a person learns to breathe correctly, you can do them yourself. This breathing technique for relaxation combines the frequency and depth of breathing, each exercise corresponds to a different psychological state. For example, slow deep breathing is designed to reduce negative emotions, to allow the body and mind to relax. And fast shallow breathing crushes all experiences so that you can quickly get rid of them. Exercises need to be performed to special music, setting yourself up in a positive way.

VAYVATION

The rebirthing technique was perfected by Jim Lenard and Phil Louth. They also believed that a person should be freed from negative experiences. But at the same time, you need to help him cope with the experiences that appear during the breathing exercises. The English word "vivation" has the Latin root "viva". Viva means "life". The technique involves a calm and free cycle of inhalation and exhalation, between which there is no pause. If the inhalation is through the mouth, then the exhalation will be through the mouth. If a person inhales through the nose, then he should exhale in the same way. Vaivation includes three classes of breathing - deep slow, deep fast and shallow fast. This technique allows a person to realize himself in the world with his feelings, to achieve harmony. There are 5 elements in total:

HOLONOTROPIC BREATHING

The method was developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof in the 1970s. Their discovery was connected with the prohibition of LSD, and at that time, many of Stanislav's studies were based on the expansion of consciousness. Holotropic breathing is shallow breathing. As a result, carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood, which causes vasoconstriction of the brain. This contributes to the appearance of hallucinations, memories from the past. As a result, a person is able to move to the transpersonal level. Holotropic Breathwork has been widely criticized because of the potential for brain cells to die during exercise. Breathing itself does not have a clear instruction - it is more frequent than normal breathing and more superficial. The technique is performed in pairs - one breathes, and the second performs the function of a sitter. During holotropic breathing sounds specific music designed to move to the transpersonal level. One session lasts about two hours.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM ACCORDING TO Yu.I. PERSHINA

The basis of the Pershin method is the improved methods of Kofler, Buteyko and Strelnikova. The respiratory system allows you to saturate the internal organs with oxygen, because. the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood increases. The technique helps to get rid of headaches, allergies, toxins, fights sciatica, heart disease and overweight. Breathing according to Pershin should be shallow, a pause is made between exhalation and inhalation, which allows you to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. Exhalations and inhalations are carried out through the nose. The system includes exercises for different zones - the genital area, the spine area, the cervical region, and so on. The set of exercises is quite large.

Many breathing techniques modernize or repeat existing ones. For example, the Bulanov method takes the Buteyko system as a basis, but makes it more rigid. The pause between exhalation and inhalation is as long as a person can withstand, close to suffocation. Method E.V. Streltsova is based on yoga breathing. A significant part of the exercises is performed only under the supervision of specialists, otherwise breathing practices can harm.

General principles of breathing exercises

If you have settled on the system that you can perform on your own, then you should follow a few rules in order for the exercises to be effective.

Proper breathing really works wonders. But before choosing a set of breathing exercises for yourself, you should consult with a professional. There may be a specific technique for you. Do not be skeptical about breathing exercises. This technique has been known since ancient times, it really allows you to get rid of mental and physical ailments. The main thing is a competent approach.

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