6 Breathing Techniques to Help with Anxiety

Each and everyone are affected by anxiety, in almost all times. People who severely suffer from anxiety may experience many health issues including panic / anxiety attacks, uneven / rapid heartbeat, or sometimes it may even lead to chest pain / heart attack. Preventive measures are to be taken to control your breathing and (BP) blood pressure.

Experts suggest that breathing exercises are one of the best ways to overcome anxiety. The following breathing techniques will help you control your anxiety and panic attacks:

1. The Bumble Bee Breath:

Bumble Bee Breath is commonly practiced in meditation workshops. This helps you in calming your mind. This is how you have to do it:

• Comfortably sit in straight position 
• Relax your shoulders
• Open up your chest by inhaling slowly and filling your lungs to the extent that you can
• Now close your eyes and ears with your fingers and thumbs respectively
• Make a low humming sound with your jaw relaxed and lips closed 
• Hold this position for 3 – 4 seconds and make a slow and long exhalation
• Repeat this breathing technique for 5 – 10 times for better results

2. The Measured Breath:

Measured breath technique helps you calm your anxiety / panic attacks. This is how you can do it:

• You can either sit or stand, before beginning the breathing technique
• Loosen up a little before starting
• Relax your hands and drop your shoulders and place your hands on either side
• Slowly breathe in through your nose allowing your stomach to expand up to 4 counts 
• Now hold for a second and release your breath slowly and smoothly till 7 counts
• Repeat this technique for a few minutes

3. Progressive Relaxation:

• Slowly close your eyes
• Focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group of your body for 2 - 3 seconds
• Start with your feet and toes and work all the way up to the legs, knees thighs, hips, chest, neck, face and your eyes
• Maintain slow and deep breaths all the time
• Hold for 5 counts and then exhale through your mouth or nose on release

4. Equal Breathing or “SamaVritti”:

This breathing technique helps you relieve your body from stress and clears you mind.

• Slowly breathe in through your nose as you count to 4 
• In a similar way, slowly breathe out on a count of 4 
• Focus on your breathe, as breathing through your nose helps in providing natural resistance

5. Guided Visualization:

• Relax yourself completely
• Lie down and close your eyes and imagine yourself in a “happy place”, focus on pleasant things 
• Take a deep breath through your nose
• Visualize yourself in a desired direction; do not let negative thoughts shatter your mind 
• Embrace this peaceful mind position for few seconds and relax your body

6. Skull Shining Breath or “Kapalabhati”:

• Begin with a slow and long inhale, followed by a quick and powerful exhale
• While breathing out, remember that it should be generated from the lower belly by contracting it completely
• Continue the procedure as fast as you can by inhaling-exhaling every two seconds
• Repeat this breathing technique for 10 times