3 Breathing Exercises to Decrease Anxiety
When you take a “belly breath” you are literally massaging your nervous system towards a state of calm and relaxation. In this form of slow, deep breathing, the diaphragm contracts on the inhale (belly extends out) and relaxes on the exhale (belly pulls in). This kind of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the relaxation response of the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. It also lowers the body’s stress response (sympathetic nervous system), reducing feelings of anxiety.
There is a strong connection between the diaphragm and the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system), through both the vagus nerve and our breathing response. These connections can have many possible applications in your yoga practice. They can allow you to work on a deeper, more therapeutic level while exploring the depths and subtle aspects of your yoga practice, rather than just focusing on the poses themselves.
To most of us, the diaphragm is a deep and mysterious part of the body. However, if we understand it this muscle can be an incredibly valuable tool to manipulate intentionally.
Let’s begin with a look at the structure of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is often compared to a parachute based on the origin and insertion of the muscle and its shape inside the body. The diaphragm originates on the lower border of the ribs and spans all the way around the torso. Unlike any other muscle in the body, it literally folds over on itself to create its insertion point. The diaphragm insertion point is in the center of the body and is called the ‘central tendon’.
One of the most powerful elements of the diaphragm is its connection to the PNS. The Vagus Nerve (10th cranial nerve) is the main circuitry of the PNS. It sends signals out from the brain to the internal organs telling them when to perform their functions.
There is no way to directly connect to the PNS. As a part of the autonomous nervous system, the PNS pathway is controlled entirely involuntarily - although you can influence this system indirectly, which we’ll get to below!
The diaphragm is one of the most powerful indirect influences on the PNS.
When we look at the structure of the diaphragm we see that the vagus nerve runs right through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.
The movement of the diaphragm around the vagus nerve stimulates the parasympathetic response. It’s a bit like running a bow across a cello string. In this case the more movement of the diaphragm, the more stimulation you cause to the PNS.
So, to stimulate the parasympathetic response, you merely need to be practicing deep, diaphragm breathing. Easier said than done! Due to poor posture, stress, and general tension, most of us have poor diaphragm movement.
Putting this all together, by working your yoga poses to improve posture and flexibility coupled with deep diaphragmatic “belly” breathing, you can learn to intentionally reduce tension and anxiety in your mind, body and spirit.
This is the essence of why a consistent yoga practice is vital and arguably the best gift we can give ourselves and the world we contribute to and live in.
Now, let’s put it into practice! Here are three specific yoga breathing exercises that utilize this “belly breathing” technique to help you destress and unwind.
1. Pranayama
Pranayama is an ancient breathing technique that means “life force breath.” It is used in many styles of yoga and involves deep, slow, concentrated breaths - it’s essentially the ultimate belly breath! There are many different types of Pranayama breathing exercises, but we’re going to focus on the kind you’ll practice in the OG Hot Yoga series or in the Inner Fire Flow sequence that we teach at Inner Fire Yoga.
To practice this technique, simply close the mouth, breath in through the nose for six counts, pause at the top of the inhale, then open the mouth and exhale out the mouth for six counts. As you do this, add a slight constriction in the back of your throat so that your breath sounds like the ocean (this is called ujjayi breath, or ocean breathing, and helps keep your sensory impulses focused on the breath).
You can practice this technique seated, standing, or laying down, but it’s most commonly practiced standing in Mountain pose with some sort of synchronized arm movement on the inhales and exhales.
The most important thing is to take your time - use the full 6 counts on the inhale, retain the breath for a 1-2 second pause at the top, and use the full 6 counts on the exhale. Keep your mind focused on the sensations as the air comes in and out of the lungs and the movement of the diaphragm. Don’t be afraid to make some noise with your ujjayi breath!
After just a few breath cycles, you should start to feel calmer and more relaxed.
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate nostril breathing (or Nadi Shodhana) is practiced by blocking off the airflow from one nostril at a time as you breathe through the other, switching between nostrils in an alternating pattern. If that sounds complicated, it’s really not :) See the step-by-step instructions below.
It's best to practice this technique in a seated position in order to keep a tall spine and prevent the body from hunching forward. If your hips are tight, feel free to elevate them by sitting on a block, bolster or meditation cushion:
Bend your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger and pinky finger extended (this is known as Vishnu mudra in yoga).
Close your eyes or softly gaze downward.
Inhale and exhale once before you begin.
Close off your right nostril with your right thumb.
Inhale fully and slowly through your left nostril.
While retaining the breath, close off your left nostril with your ring finger and release the thumb.
Exhale completely through your right nostril.
Keep the fingers where they are and inhale deeply through your right nostril.
While retaining the breath, close off your right nostril with your thumb and release the ring finger.
Exhale completely through your left nostril.
Repeat steps 4-10 up to 10 times.
Tip: if you begin to feel lightheaded, take a break by releasing both nostrils and breathing normally for a breath cycle or two, then begin again.
3. Three-Part Breathing
The three-part breath (or Dirga Pranayama) is a technique used for bringing awareness to the different depths of your lung capacity. Aside from the occasional deep sigh, the average day-to-day breath is pretty shallow, only inflating a very small fraction of your full lung capacity. In a three-part breath, we identify three key areas of the torso (three phases of the breath, if you will) to make sure we’re filling up every crevice and corner of our lungs.
The three parts are:
Belly
Ribcage
Upper chest
On the inhale, breathe first into the belly and feel the belly push out, then into the rib cage feeling the ribs expand side to side, and finally into the upper chest feeling the sternum and collar bones expand. Pause and retain the breath for 1-2 seconds. Reverse this process on the exhale: breathe out of the upper chest, then the rib cage, then the belly, pulling the belly in until you’re fully empty. Pause on empty for 1-2 breaths. Repeat until you start to feel nice and relaxed :)
Namaste and happy breathing!
Ken and Hannah