Deep Breathing Exercises

The exercise of deep breathing has many benefits and is one of the important means of improving overall health. On an average, we breathe 20,000 times everyday. Deep breathing is one of the best stress relievers which help get ride of tension, anxiety, etc. Both physical and mental wellness can be achieved through deep breathing exercises. The exercises for pneumonia and stress are known to help the body recover quickly from these medical conditions.

Deep Breathing
The practice of deep breathing is known by different names like diaphragmatic breathing, belly breathing, abdominal breathing and coastal breathing. Breathing exercises are given importance in yoga. Here are few of the simple techniques to perform deep breathing.

Procedure of Deep Breathing
The simple procedure of deep breathing is presented below.

• One should sit with an upright posture in a cross-legged position to perform deep breathing. Slouching can affect the breathing process.
• One of the hands should be put on the stomach, while other on the chest.
• Inhalation should be performed slowly. As the air is inhaled, one should feel the expanding stomach with the hand.
• Exhalation, just like inhalation should be performed slowly. Exhaling through pursed lips and thereby regulating/controlling the air flow is recommended.
• The steps mentioned above, should complete one cycle of deep breathing.

Inhalation/Exhalation in Four Sniffs
In this deep breathing exercise, one has to inhale and exhale by breaking the breath in 4 equal parts. Just like in any other breathing exercise, the body should be maintained in a position where spine remains straight (and not arched). Palms need to be kept at the level of sternum and pressed at sides of the body. Hands need to be placed firmly against the body, however they shouldn't be pressed tightly. Inhalation should take place in 4 equal parts in such a manner that the last sniff completes the process exactly. Exhalation should also be carried out in a similar fashion. The exercise need to be performed till about 5 minutes at a stretch.

Breathing Exercise for Anxiety
Following is one of the important breathing exercises for anxiety and it is performed in a standing position. Standing in a position with feet slightly apart, one should keep the arms at sides of the body. The process of inhalation is coupled with the action of raising arms up and above the head. Completion of this process and the beginning of exhalation should be accompanied with clasping fingers of both hands and overturning the palms so that they face the ceiling. The second inhalation should start while in a position where palms are still facing the ceiling. The body need to be stretched upwards and head tilted backwards slightly, as air is inhaled. Dropping down the head and lowering hands slowly during exhalation should complete this deep breathing exercise.

Breathing Exercises after Surgery
Breathing exercises can greatly help in recovering from surgeries. Here are few breathing exercises which can be performed easily. The general/common exercise described above, should be performed along with the one that uses 'Triflo', a plastic breathing device. This device is a clear box with three, blue colored balls (light, medium and dark blue) placed inside. The straw provided with this device should be used in sucking air into the chest. As the air is inhaled (sucked in) the balls start rising upwards one-by-one (in the following sequence: light, medium and dark blue ball.). As many balls as possible need to be held up (depending on the capacity). The air should be exhaled slowly.

Deep breathing exercises for stress are especially important in today's fast-paced life. All the exercises explained above are more or less the same. However, the methods of doing these exercises prove to be useful in curing different health problems/ailments.