Deep Breathing Exercise

For your convenience, this can be practiced almost anywhere and anytime.

• Find a place where you are comfortable and won't be disturbed. You can sit or lay down in.
• Close your eyes and imagine yourself in beautiful natural place, this can be a mountain top, a forest or a warm sunny beach. You will notice a peaceful feeling of wholeness, relaxation and joy.
• Breathe in the air and enjoy the beauty of your own creation until you feel a sense of its positive energy flowing through your whole body and mind.
• Counting to six, breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose. Hold your breath while slowly counting to six.
• Now counting to eight, slowly exhale through your mouth. Open your eyes and notice how bright and refreshed you are feeling.

You can repeat this exercise several times a day.

Belly Breathing exercise:

First of all (and especially if you are feeling like you cannot catch your breath), EXHALE. This is important to relax your upper body so that you can stop those shallow chesty breaths (which can lead to chest pain).

In this exercise you don't have to use your imagination. Instead, this time you should use a little concentration to be aware of your muscles. Place one hand on your chest, right over the brestbone, and your other hand on your belly just above the belt line. Use your hands as your guide to tell your which muscles and what part of your body you are using to breathe. Ready? Great!

• Now, open your mouth and exhale again (imaginative help tip: imgaine you've just been told something annoying, then sigh) and completely relax the muscles in your upper body, including the shoulders.
• Close your mouth for a few seconds of a pause.
• Keeping your mouth closed, start to inhale slowly through your nose, by pushing your stomach out. Don't over do it until you are uncomfotable or to the extent of using your upper body.
• Pause breifly for as long as is comfortable for you (everyone counts at a different rate, and has different size of lungs). Be aware that by breathing in this method you are already taking larger breaths than usual so you must breathe more slowly than you are used to. If you don't you might feel a little light-headed or might yawn. This is not harmful, it just means your body is giving you a signal to slow down and you should listen to it.
• Open your mouth and exhale by pulling your belly in.
• Pause, then repeat.