Revitalize through the Breath

It's common knowledge that deep breathing can help to relax and calm the body and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, but not many people talk about how it can revitalize and energize you when you are feeling sluggish. The more busy and stressed out we are, we tend to hold our breath or breathe shallowly into the chest, which leaves us feeling tired and frazzled. Taking some time to take some slow, deep breaths can help us relax and find our focus, feeling more alert and ready to take on the day.

Anyone who has taken a Biology class knows that humans need oxygen to produce energy (or to convert food into a source of energy the body can use). This is the main reason that deep breathing and some movement serves to re-energize us. The oxygen our body needs is transported through the blood all over our body - including to the brain. By taking some time to breathe deeply and do some gentle movement (such as walking or yoga), we are fueling our cells with the oxygen it needs to create energy!

There are many other benefits of deep breathing, including but not limited to improving immunity, reducing inflammation and helping you to sleep better. To reap the many benefits of deep breathing, we must take slow, deep breaths and activate abdominal breathing. We are looking to contract the diaphragm (which will make your belly expand) and expand the ribcage outward to increase the volume of oxygen you are taking in.

Looking to get over that midday slump? Try this exercise to help you energize and revitalize!

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika)

1. Settle into a comfortable seated position.
2. Breathe in and out through your nose.
3. Engage your stomach, pushing it out on an inhale and pulling it in on an exhale.
4. Keeping this up, start forcefully exhaling through your nose, followed by forced, deep inhales
5. Continue this at the rate of 1 second per cycle.

Start with reps of 10 followed by short 15-30 second breaks of normal breathing.

See the benefits in as little as 5 minutes -- it doesn’t take long to get the oxygen and energy flowing!

Would you like more breathing exercises and tips for mindfulness throughout your day? Check out our courses on the Store page for workshops that can help!