When the going gets tough, all you need to do is relax. And no, you don’t need a day off or a therapy to relax. All it takes is a thought. Here’s a quick guide to help you relax in minutes, during a stressful day. Sit with your spine straight and if you have the comfort of lying on a flat surface, even better.
Just ten breaths. Inhale-hold-exhale; yes, just turn around your chair or sit wherever you feel comfortable. Close your eyes, inhale slowly hold till the count of five and exhale slower than you inhaled, feeling that you have cleared your lungs of the carbon dioxide. Hold on for two seconds before taking the next breath in. That’s when you will feel the actual relaxation. Ten breaths in and out and the eleventh will see a rejuvenated you! Try it.
Inhale from nostrils and exhale from mouth. It is said that the first thing that stress hits is your stomach and increases the acid levels, thereby increasing the heat in the stomach, thus bad digestion, burning feeling in chest and low energy levels. In the longer run it gives you mouth ulcers and zits. For a sure shot quick remedy to cool down the stomach and feel better, inhale very slowly, as much as you can, hold for a second and exhale from your mouth. Exhale longer, slower and as much as you can. Fifteen breaths will make you feel awesome!
First left then Right – This one is known to cleanse your toxins the fastest. Sit with your spine straight and close your right nostril with the thumb finger of your right hand, inhale from left nostril slowly and steadily and hold for second. While holding the breath release the thumb from right nostril and close the left nostril with the ring finger of the right hand, simultaneously. Exhale from right nostril. This is half a cycle.
Now, keeping the left nostril closed, inhale from right nostril and hold for a second. While you hold, release the ring finger from left nostril and close the right nostril again with the thumb. Exhale slowly. Feel that you have cleared your lungs of any impure air. This completes one cycle. Again inhale from left to start the process. This is popularly called Anulom-Vilom in yoga and a very powerful method to detoxify. Initially, you can only do up to ten rounds but a regular practice will increase your capacity to practice this exercise and make you stronger and more relaxed.
Breathing exercises are known to not only de-stress but also, control Blood Pressure and help most body organs perform better.
