Welcome back to our empowering journey in the "52 Weeks of Holistic Trauma Recovery." I’m Wellness Coach Liz Blanding, and it’s wonderful to build with you on this transformative journey. This week, I’m excited to introduce our next topic, an essential tool in our recovery toolbox: Mindful Breathing Techniques for Stress Reduction.
In this week's exploration, we delve into how mindful breathing can serve as a powerful method for calming the mind and soothing the body. Whether you're caught in a stressful moment or coping with the ongoing challenges of trauma recovery, these techniques offer a practical, accessible way to regain control of your emotional state and foster inner peace.
For support on your journey to recovery schedule your free 20 minute discovery support session today.
As we prepare to delve deeper into Mindful Breathing , I highly recommend incorporating The Get Trauma Informed Podcast into your support system. Listening to discussions and insights on trauma recovery can enrich your understanding and introduce you to perspectives and strategies that may resonate with your journey. Podcasts like this can be a powerful source of solace, education, and empowerment, offering voices of experience and expertise that align with the holistic approach we're embracing.
Join me as we learn about the fundamentals of mindful breathing, explore different techniques, and discover how to integrate these practices into your daily routine for maximum benefit. Together, we’ll learn to harness the power of our breath to create moments of calm and resilience in our lives.
Mindful Breathing Techniques for Stress Reduction
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
How to do it:
- Sit comfortably or lie down. Place one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, letting your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
- Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
- Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
Benefits:
This technique helps decrease the "fight-or-flight" response, enhances a relaxed state, and focuses the mind, reducing stress.
2. 4-7-8 Breathing
How to do it:
- Be seated comfortably or lie flat. Place the tip of your tongue against the back of your top teeth.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
- This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Benefits:
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a great way to reduce anxiety, help people to fall asleep faster, and manage cravings.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing
How to do it:
- Sit in a comfortable position. Place your left hand on your knee and your right thumb against your right nostril.
- Close the right nostril and inhale slowly through the left nostril.
- Close the left nostril with your ring finger and release the right nostril.
- Exhale through the right nostril and then breathe in through the right nostril.
- Close the right nostril and open the left, exhaling through the left nostril.
- This completes one cycle. Continue for 3 to 5 minutes.
Benefits:
Alternate nostril breathing helps to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, enhances concentration, and reduces stress.
To gain the benefits of these techniques, make mindful breathing a part of your daily routine. Spend a few minutes each morning or evening practicing, or use these techniques whenever you feel stress building. Regular practice can significantly impact your overall emotional and physical well-being.
Until next week remember for support on your journey to recovery schedule your free 20 minute discovery support session today.
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