Breathing Exercise

 Breathing Exercise

First, sit comfortably with one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest and breathe regularly. After about 30 seconds to a minute, note which hand moves. It should be the one on your abdomen.

Good breathing or the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is diaphragmatic breathing -- in other words, as you inhale, the diaphragm moves downward and your abdomen will expand or "pooch out". As you exhale, the diaphragm moves up and the abdomen moves inward. If you have trouble with this, lay down on your bed ot the couch or the floor. Put a book on your abdomen. When you inhale, the book should move upward. When you exhale, the book moves down.

Once you've got the abdominal breathing part, sit somewhere comfortably the first few times you do this exercise. The reason is that you are likely to get dizzy or light-headed the first few times you do this. If you do then make sure you are exhaling completely.

If you are not a smoker, as you are seated inhale for a count of 4. Hold that breath for a count of four. Exhale for a count of 8. Do this sequence 10 times. If you get dizzy or light-headed, make sure you exhale completely. This clears the carbon dioxide and helps clear your mind.  If dizziness persists, check with your physician. After 2 or 3 weeks, go to 5 inhale, 5 hold and 10 exhale because your breathing capacity should improve.

If you are a smoker, as you are seated inhale for a count of 3. Hold that breath for a count of 3. Exhale for a count of 6. Do this sequence 10 times. If you get dizzy or light-headed, make sure you exhale completely. If dizziness persists, check with your physician.

After a few weeks increase to inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 8 and do that 10 times. Your breathing will have improved and your capacity increased.

This breathing exercise helps with anxiety and/or panic. Attacks will be less intense and won't last as long.

copyright, 2009