8 steps to develop a deep breathing practice for relaxation and clarity

You know how to breathe, you do it all day every day…but for many of us, we don’t even know that we are doing it, except perhaps during times of tension.

You also know the saying ‘take a few deep breaths’ when subject to stress or pressure. This saying is not an old folk remedy; instead, it is advice that has stood the test of time.

There are so many compelling benefits of slow, mindful deep breathing which are backed up by robust scientific evidence, which is too hard to ignore.

In a nutshell (this is not designed to be a science lesson, but essential to know), breathing deeply and mindfully helps to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system which triggers the body to release hormones to decrease blood pressure and your heart rate, thus creating a relaxation response.

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for ‘rest and digest’, and works with the sympathetic nervous system to regulate stress. Under stressful or dangerous situations, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, releasing hormones to enable the ‘flight or fight’ response and shallow breathing.

Hence the saying ….’Take a few deep breaths’ when under stress.

Conscious breathing is the antidote to help us to positively adjust the body, mind and soul, and learning to breathe in this manner is one of the first gateways to healing the body from the effects of stress and pressure. It is not simply about taking a deep breath. It is much more than that. It is about taking deliberate longer and slower breaths to set to body up for calmness and to set it up for strength.

The simplicity of breath — Breathing 101 — the Ujjayi breath.

As mentioned, inhalation is about energy, strength and excitation of the body in readiness for action. As a result, the Sympathetic Nervous System is activated, and with that many hormones to support this, and if too much, can result in overstressing the body.

Exhalation is about ease, relaxation and letting go. The body’s relaxation response kicks in through the Parasympathetic Nervous System promoting calmness and wellbeing.

Think about it though. What is the balance in your day to day life between activation of your Sympathetic Nervous Systems (a.k.a the fight or flight system) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (the rest and digest response)?

One of the most common breathing techniques in modern yoga is Ujjayi Pranayama, the Victorious Breath.

This type of deep breathing allows you to slow and smooth the flow of breath while quieting and focusing the mind. It has a balancing effect and enables you to release emotions and feelings such as frustration and tension while also:

• Increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood
• Relieving tension
• Encouraging the free flow of energy or prana
• Regulating blood pressure
• Building energy and heat in the body
• Clearing the mind and body
• Increasing feelings of presence, self-awareness, and enhances meditation.

Ujjayi breath sounds like a gentle wave, dragging along the back of your throat. Generally, it’s loud enough to hear, but not so loud that it strains your throat. It is a fantastic breathing technique to practise because it helps heat the body and focuses the mind.

• Find a comfortable place to sit up straight and place your hands either on your belly or in your lap.
• Exhale through your mouth and inhale deeply through your nose and into your belly area.
• Breathe in for the count of six through your nose and out for the count of six through your mouth — matching the length of the inhale with the length of the exhale.
• Use your full lung capacity to breathe mindfully and deeply. Try this for a 4-minute practice in the morning and the evening and extend by a minute each day to develop a 12-minute practice. Notice the difference as to how your body responds.

You will find you will develop clarity, calm and connection with yourself. The best place to be when strategising, prioritising, planning and decision-making.

If during the day you find yourself getting stressed, try your new breathing practice.

Remember to be patient. Cultivating this type of awareness and control over the breath may take time. Though it’s hard enough to practice while sitting still, the next step is incorporating Ujjayi into your asana flow.

With time, you’ll continue to improve while also experiencing the mental and physical deep breathing benefits of Ujjayi.

Are you interested in learning more? Come and visit my online home at
Deep Rest and Renew.