Take Deep Breaths When You are Angry
Breathing Techniques can Calm You
Experts suggest when you are angry, sad, or anxious, taking 10 deep breaths will help you feel better.
Remember the old saying, "when you are angry count to 10?" Well, instead of counting, breathe in and out 10 times. With each exhalation release your negative emotions. It will help you regain your composure and feelings of being in control.
Babaji, who was the inspiration for the founder of Kripalu yoga, said yoga breathing techniques, called pranayama, helps one feel more balance and in tune with your self than a yoga pose or posture.
Deep Breathing Exercises Good for You
Few people are aware of the powerful correlation between breath and emotions. Your emotions are so closely linked with your breath that you can actually change how you feel simply by changing how you breathe.
You may be unaware of this connection, but you automatically use it to suppress uncomfortable feelings. For example, whenever you feel a fearful or troubled emotion, you spontaneously hold or suppress your breath.
You may think that holding your breath helps, but what really happens is whatever you are afraid of, or uncomfortable with, gets stuck deep inside you. And so, you are unable to change these emotions into healthy ones.
What inevitably happens is that the stress of suppressing fear or uncomfortable emotions has simply created anxiety, which some experts describe as "fear of fear." In any event, you can use your breath to breathe out your fear, anger, and confusion.
Many researchers indicate emotions originate in the biochemical and hormonal reactions within your bodies. Therefore, your emotions and body chemistry are very closely linked and that every change in one produces a corresponding change in the other.
Proper Breathing Techniques
Many therapeutic practices indicate proper breathing technique is an important component to healing. Ancient Chinese acupuncturists discovered that a patient who was breathing more easily, will heal more rapidly. To this day, Traditional Chinese Acupuncture sessions routinely include respiratory techniques, which increase the flow of chi or prana (life force) by opening the patient's breath.
Everyone can learn to heal with their breath by learning basic breathing techniques from yoga, tai chi, chi kung, pranic energy healing (spiritual healing), or belly breathing technique learned with Biofeedback, a mind-body therapy. Even prayer, chanting, and meditation can improve your breathing technique.
Try a Yoga Breath to Decrease Stress
One favorite breathing technique for stress and fear in yoga is called, the UJJAYI breath, or sometimes referred to as the "sounding or ocean breath."
The UJJAYI breath is preformed by taking long, slow, deep and gentle breaths through the nostrils while slightly contracting the back of the throat in the area of the glottis - the opening at the upper end of the windpipe and between the vocal cords. This subtle muscular contraction creates a hissing sound in the back of the throat that sounds like the rising and falling of the ocean tide.
Relax as much as you can so the breath sounds smooth. Don't force the sound, but it should be loud enough that someone near you can hear it.
Lengthen the inhalations and the exhalations as much as possible without creating tension anywhere in your body.
It is recommended that you consult a yoga teacher or other mind-body practitioners to learn proper breathing techniques. Breathing techniques are an important factor to healing as well as to maintaining wellness.
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