Breathing techniques
Most forms of meditation are based on breathing techniques that don’t require any formal instruction. All you need is to become more aware of your process of respiration and have an attitude of mindfulness towards your breath.
Many of us are unaware how much our breathing impacts our daily lives. When we feel frightened or stressed, for example, we breathe almost entirely in the chest and our breaths become much shallower and faster. It’s at this point that we can suffer from panic attacks or even cravings. But when we breathe with our diaphragm, focusing on inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply, we can instantaneously change the way we feel physically and emotionally. Slow abdominal breathing has been shown to stop panic attacks and eliminate and prevent cravings.
How to breathe using the diaphragm
Lie on your back and place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach (between your navel and ribs). Focus on allowing the stomach to rise easily when inhaling and fall gently when exhaling.
Hold your chest still by keeping one hand on it. The aim is to keep breathing all the time with your stomach (diaphragm) lower down and not the chest, higher up.
Aim to inhale for 7 seconds and exhale for 11 seconds, so you are breathing at a rate of about 4 to 5 breaths per minute. There should be no sense of effort. Your stomach should rise and your chest should stay still. If your chest continues to move, put a weight (perhaps a heavy book) between the navel and ribs. Focus on ‘allowing’ the weight to rise when you inhale and sink when you exhale. Again – without any effort! Always inhale through your nose, not your mouth. You can exhale through either, although the nose is preferable.
IMPORTANT: If you feel dizzy or light-headed at any time during the breathing, stop the exercise, rest, and try again in a few minutes. You may not be used to having so much oxygen pumping around your system!
Once you have learned how to breathe with your diaphragm, as with most new skills, you should try to practise as often as possible. In the first week it is recommended that you practise only a few breaths at a time while lying on your back. You can gradually extend the time to 10, and then 15 minutes. When you can achieve this comfortably, you can move on to practising the technique while sitting, then standing and finally while walking. Then you will be able to practise in lots of different situations, such as in the car, in a restaurant, or at work, so that you feel comfortable that you can use your new technique whenever and wherever you need to.
