Take a breath! Relieve Your Stress for Free

I often gauge what is going on with someone by how they are breathing.  A persons breath, the depth or lack of, the smell, the pattern can tell you a lot about an individual.  More importantly closing ones eyes and listening and feeling your own breath and learning to control it can be crucial.  

“Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”
Andrew Weil, M.D.

Since breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. I recommend three breathing exercises to help relax and reduce stress: The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing Breath), and Breath Counting. Try each and see how they affect your stress and anxiety levels.

You can find some great breathing exercises here: by Dr. Weil.

Breathing Exercises are an ideal way to relieve stress in that they’re fast, simple, free, and can be performed by just about anyone. They can also be done anywhere and at virtually any time. These factors make stress relief breathing exercises a free cure for everyone.