Deep Breathing facilitates relaxation and calms intense emotional states

Deep breathing helps to facilitate relaxation and calm intense emotional states. Shallow breathing leads to increased anxiety and stress, whereas deep breathing slows you down and provides more oxygen to your body.

Healing Starts with Breathing

Start while lying on your back. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly (between navel and ribs).
Focus on allowing the belly to rise easily when inhaling and fall when exhaling.

HOLD THE CHEST STILL with your hand on your chest.
The objective is to breathe all the time with the belly and not the chest.

If the belly won't move and the chest continues to move, put a weight on the belly between the navel and ribs (where their hand was). A heavy book will do, but a sandbag that weighs 3 - 5 pounds is best.


Focus on "allowing" the weight to rise on inhale and sink on exhale.

1. Inhale slowly through your nose until your belly is filled to capacity.
2. A pause should occur at the end of inhalation (count till 4 to start with and then increase to 6, 10, 15 or more if you can). This, too, should not be forced at first, though deliberate experiments with extending this pause play an important part in successful practice.
3. Exhale smoothly and completely through your mouth.
4. Another pause, short or long, should occur at the end of exhalation.

Doing It The Right Way

Begin by breathing normally, but paying attention to each breath. After several breaths, begin to breathe more deeply – longer inhalations and longer exhalations. With deep breathing, you breathe from your gut.
Place your hands for several breaths on your chest, then your ribs, and finally your belly, to feel the breath moving through you.
Breathe deeply and slowly, focusing all of your attention on each breath.
Don’t rush it or breathe quickly.
As you exhale naturally, allow any tension to leave you with the breath. Imagine the tension draining from your body and mind as you exhale. Notice the feeling of calm and relaxation that comes with exhalation.

Application Suggestions

• Health maintenance
 6 to 10 repetitions - 2 to 3 sessions per day.

•  Health enhancement
 6 to 10 repetitions -- 4 to 6 sessions per day. 

• Disease intervention
Start slowly and build up to 15 to 20 repetitions - 10 to 15 sessions per day.

• Getting started
2 to 3 repetitions, once or twice per day.
Remember to keep it easy and fun.

According to the Mayo Clinic
"Deep breathing has several benefits, including:

• Decreasing the effect of stress on your mind and body.
• Slowing your heartbeat.
• Lowering or stabilizing blood pressure.
• Calming and regulating the autonomic nervous system.
• Relieving symptoms of depression and anxiety."