When I’m breathing fully and deeply, I always think of the ocean. There’s a lovely rhythm to it and I feel as calmed as if I were actually sitting near the ocean watching the waves come and go.

It’s easy to forget how powerful breathing can be. Many of us breathe in a shallow, sporadic way. However, when we make our breathing deep and belly-filling, we strengthen our immune systems, help our organs to rejuvenate and give ourselves an energetic lift.

Modulating Our Breathing:

Modulating our breathing is THE most used tool for altering energy, Not only it is a highly effective tool, it’s one you can do by yourself and feel the results of quickly. Not only are specific breathing practices about to install relaxation, and sometimes even blissful states, they are also great for moving us out of stressed, agitated and angry states.

Of course, all people who do yoga know the importance of breathing to affect how we feel.But let’s give YOU an opportunity to know it for yourself or to rediscover it. Here are a few different breathing modalities to try:

Basic Breathing:

I teach Basic Breathing by showing people how to do a three-part breathing exercise. It’s excellent tool for settling yourself down and/or taking the edge off irritations and other milder emotional upsets. For bigger emotional situations, use Nostril Breathing (below)  If you want an experience of Basic Breathing, click the audio player below and do some with me. Taking a few minutes to do this will not only help you release any energy that’s negative or exhausted in your body, but it will help you feel great.

Think of this little breathing exercise as a kind of ‘energy snack’.

Come back and do it as often as you’d like.

Alternate Nostril Breathing:

Great for anxiety and more distressing emotions, Alternate Nostril Breathing is a powerful way to change your state quickly. Even a few minutes will bring a calming effect to the body.

To do some with me through an audio experience, click below:

Buteyko Breathing:

Although many of us have been taught to take long slow breaths when we feel agitated, this is only half true. Carbon dioxide, not oxygen is our natural tranquillizer, so when we want to calm ourselves, we need to take in less air and get our blood levels of carbon dioxide higher. This can be done by taking in a light breath in  and then slowly, slowly breathing that breath out.

If you want to increase your levels of carbon dioxide more, you can pause when you’ve exhaled and wait for a moment before breathing in again. But don’t go so long that you’re gulping breath back in–this would be counter-productive.

Using Buyeyko breathing regularly is reported to normalize the body’s oxygen/carbon dioxide levels and can loosen the physical breathing system, relieving tension in the chest, abdomen and throat. It can be helpful for anxiety and can produce noticeable results in a few days.

If you want to explore this kind of breathing more, or have an illness related to your lungs, research it more. The method comes from Russia and is relatively new to the West, but there is lots of information on it now and many books available.