How to start a breathing practice

ILana Nankin loved being a preschool teacher, but she and her colleagues often felt stressed about their jobs. So when Nankin noticed that a fellow teacher “looked absolutely ecstatic,” she tagged along to the teacher’s new yoga and breathing class. “I haven’t looked back since,” says Nankin.

She felt so calmed by the mindful movement and breathing techniques she learned that Nankin brought them into her classroom — and was amazed when her students calmed down after a round of “bear belly breathing.” Nankin founded a company, Breathe for change, which brings mindfulness practices to teachers and students in public schools. If breathing can work for a preschool teacher who was “overworked and overwhelmed, with few to no tools to take care of herself” — and for her youngest students — it can help anyone, she believes.

“The most common question I get is, ‘How do I get started?’” says Nankin. And the answer is easier than you might think. If you can set aside a few minutes every day, you’ll have all the time you need to develop a fruitful breathwork routine.

Below, Nankin and other experts share why breathing is important, how to get started, and simple but effective exercises to try.

What is breathing?

Dr. Sheila Patel, family physician and medical director of Chopra, defines respiratory work as the conscious control of breathing. “When we alter the depth and frequency of breathing, we can create specific effects on the mind and body,” she says. “When we slow the breathing rate, we directly tell the nervous system to shift toward the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms and relaxes us, and is the opposite of the stress response.” By manipulating your breath differently, you can also invigorate and energize yourself. This may sound similar to meditation, but “meditation focuses on cultivating present moment awareness, while breathing focuses on consciously directing the breath to induce a specific outcome,” says Nankin.

The health benefits of breathing

Patel didn’t practice breathing until adulthood, but she knew it from a young age. While she was growing up, many relatives from India visited her family home. “My first introduction to breathwork was hearing snorting and heavy breathing sounds coming from my uncle’s room in the morning,” she says. This sent Patel and her sister into fits of laughter, until one day they asked their parents what was going on. They explained that he practiced yoga poses and pranayama, which is yogic breathing, to stay healthy.

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Now, Chopra maintains a similar practice. “I experienced firsthand how calming slow breathing techniques can be and I really needed to relax and calm my mind, being a busy doctor, wife and mother of two young children,” she says. Given her demanding schedule, she often couldn’t find time to do yoga, but breathwork was more manageable. “Doing five minutes in the morning and five minutes at the end of the day has had profound benefits,” she says. “I was surprised to realize that simple practice could be so transformative. “

A large body of research confirm the benefits slow rhythmic breathing: a lighter moodreduced feelings of stress and improved glucose and cortisol levels, says Patel. Some of these findings are true even after just one session.

What’s behind the stunning discoveries? Many of the benefits of breathing appear to be related to its ability to quell your body’s “flight or fight” response. “When you are stressed, overwhelmed, or have experienced trauma, your nervous system activates in the sympathetic state,” says Nankin. This is when you go into fight or flight mode. “Practicing breathing practices regulates the nervous system and increases its flexibility, leading to greater comfort, relaxation and alertness, as well as reduced symptoms of excitement, anxiety, depression, anger and confusion,” she says.

Although we are now able to describe the benefits in the language of science, Patel emphasizes that these practices have been practiced for thousands of years and the benefits have long been known through direct experience. “The practices are not new, but we are learning about them and teaching them in a new way,” she says.

How to start a breathing practice, step by step

If you’re a beginner and don’t want to make this your entire identity, experts recommend trying some easy breathing techniques. You don’t need a fancy meditation cushion or download any apps.

First, note that there is no “right” way to practice breathing. Kimberly Faith, a breathing practitioner in Reno, Nevada, tells clients who are overwhelmed by the number of breathing techniques available that as long as your exhales are equal to or longer than your inhales, you are calming your nervous system and it’s okay to keep up. .

These three breathing techniques work well for beginners.

box breathing

Faith calls this popular technique one of the simplest breathing exercises out there: “Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold for four, exhale through your mouth for a count of four, hold for four,” she explains. “Doing this several times will relax the nervous system and restore homeostasis to the body.”

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If that seems like too much for you, Faith recommends trying to be more aware of your breathing throughout the day. “Often when people are stressed or something triggers them, people stop breathing completely. They don’t even realize it, but it causes the sympathetic nervous system to rev up,” she says. “The more we can become aware of our breathing, the more we can do something about it.”

5:2:5 rhythmic breathing

This breathing technique is one of Patel’s favorites to teach her patients. This can be practiced sitting or lying down. However, she recommends that beginners start by lying down, with one hand resting gently on their abdomen.

Here’s how to do it: Breathe in through your nose for five seconds as you feel your abdomen rising toward the ceiling. Pause for two seconds and exhale through your nose for five seconds while drawing your belly button in toward your spine. Patel notes that this practice should be very comfortable, without causing tension or dizziness.

A 5-Step Breathing Practice

Nankin developed this easy exercise so that beginners can become comfortable with the feeling of paying attention to their breath. She says to approach this exercise (and all types of breath work) with a non-judgmental attitude. “Start with curiosity, noticing your natural breathing for five, 10, or 20 seconds and the quality of each breath,” she says. “Just observe without trying to change.”

How to Commit to a Regular Breathing Practice

Do you want to follow a consistent breathing practice, but are afraid that it will go in one nostril and out the other? Here are five ways to stay the course.

Choose a technique that feels right for you

And that could change. Daily. Just because a friend swears by the cashier’s breath doesn’t mean you will. “In this process, it’s crucial to really find the right style that works for you,” says Pavel Stuchlik, breathing instructor and founder of NOA|AON, an online wellness platform that focuses on breathing, meditation, and dance. Ask your body: “What is the right flow today?” he suggests. Stuchlik uses different techniques for different situations. “If you need breathing to sleep, choose sleep practices. If you need to do breathing for energy, there is breathing for energy.”

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Set reminders

Because breathing is so automatic, Nina Kaiser, clinical psychologist and founder of Practice San Francisco, says it’s easy to forget to do these practices. “Setting reminders or building habits with something you do consistently (e.g., picking up your phone, sitting at your computer, etc.) can be helpful in establishing intentional breathing as a new habit,” she says.

Just like creating any other habit, Kaiser emphasizes that it’s easiest to start by making small changes to your routine. “People eager to gain the benefits of breathwork may be tempted to delve into complicated, time-consuming, or advanced practices,” she says. “Instead, it’s best to start with small changes or additions to your current habits.”

Practice proactively

One way to seamlessly incorporate breathing into your daily life is to practice it at the beginning of the day or as a way to decompress before bed. You can also try incorporating a 30-second breathing practice throughout the day as a “brain break,” before a meal, or as a transition between activities, she says.

And deep breathing isn’t just for quiet moments. Breathing is especially vital when the going gets tough. Nankin recommends using it during times of heightened stress, such as an argument, test, or accident. “Notice how you are feeling. Are you stressed, angry, sad? Take a break and practice a breathing technique to return to a calm, regulated state,” she suggests.

Don’t breathe too hard

One of the most common breathing mistakes Patel sees is when people strain or try to breathe in or out at maximum capacity. When done correctly, your inhalations and exhalations should only reach about 75% capacity, says Patel, at a slow pace of about five to seven breaths per minute. “People think it’s about getting more oxygen into the lungs, but the real work of breathing isn’t about that. Creating this regular, rhythmic and slow breathing synchronizes all the bodily regulatory functions of the nervous system,” she says.

Let go of expectations

“I should feel calm” or “I should be less stressed” are common expectations Nankin hears from beginners — and when they don’t happen right away, they create anxiety. “The truth is that these practices will not necessarily lead to immediate results or always the same result,” says Nankin. “It can take weeks, months or even years to feel the life-changing effects of breathing. Be childish in your experiment and the results will come. “