3 breathing techniques to quickly let go of intrusive thoughts
“Most relaxation techniques begin with a prerequisite: awareness of the breath,” says EMDR practitioner, author, and director Michelle Freud. michel freud trainingThis is the principle of meditation: to observe this passive coming and going without forcing it and to pay attention to it whenever the mind can spare Use visualization to helpFor example by imagining a flower that opens at the moment of inspiration and closes during a slow exhalation; Or count “1” while inhaling and “2” while exhaling.
This simple exercise can be enough to calm the mind and give it a second wind in just a few minutes. Subsequent exercises move a little further into relaxation in a targeted manner. They allow anxious people – who hold their breath or exhale too quickly, jerkily, incompletely, by blocking the diaphragm – to (re)discover wider and more regular breathingWhich, by promoting parasympathetic responses, calms the nervous system and calms the entire being. ,
1. To manage stress and anxiety
abdominal breathing
While standing, or in a sitting or lying position, place your hand on your stomach, and begin to observe your breathing. Are you breathing fast, i.e. panting, and hence causing chest pain? Jerky? superficial? Let your breath come and go for a few moments, directing it towards the abdomen and lower ribs: you should feel the entire abdomen rising and falling in rhythm with your breath.
Once this abdominal breathing is established, exhale through your mouth, expelling as much air as possible and gently pushing your navel toward your lower back. And breathe in gently through your nose while expanding your stomach. Gradually lengthen your breaths, which should be slower and longer than inhaling. For example, with each breath you might say to yourself: “I breathe peacefully”; And with each exhalation: “I establish peace”. After five or six breaths, pause briefly and allow the air to circulate freely. Repeat the exercise two to three times a day.
alternate breathing
Sit in a comfortable position with the top of your head aligned with your entire spine. Relax your entire body, relax your jaw, and breathe regularly. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale slowly through the other nostril, focusing on the passage of air.
Close the left nostril with the little finger, open the right nostril and exhale slowly. Then change the nose, do this about ten times. This breathing is really effective when practiced daily.
2. For better sleep
While lying in bed, close your eyes, choose the most comfortable position and feel the complete support of your body on the mattress. Relax every part of your body, starting with your head, making sure to relax your forehead, eyes, and jaw as you go.
Once the last tension is gone, take a deep breath and calm belly breathing: slightly expand the abdomen as you breathe in (through the nose), making sure to get enough air into the chest. Like a vase that fills slowly without any effort. Then exhale, letting a small stream of air pass between your lips. The speed of exhalation should be slower than that of inhalation. Air flows in and out effortlessly, rising to the top of your head as you inhale and descending to the tips of your feet as you exhale. Feel this breathing calm you, and allow yourself to be soothed by this regular coming and going.
3. To stop mental thinking
Just before you go to sleep, imagine the worries that are still swirling around in your mind and, symbolically, imagine that you are putting them in a big bag that you close. Now imagine that there is a boat stationary on the water’s edge in front of you. Leave your bag there.
Inhale gently through your nose, then on each exhale, imagine that your breath, like a light breeze, pushes the boat, which moves away until it appears in the distance on the horizon. Nothing more than a small dot should remain. Then focus all your attention on the movement of the water connected to your breath and its glowing reflection. Hypnotic effect guaranteed.