Breathing Exercises and their benefits

Breathing

Deep breathing can release stress and provide other noticeable health benefits. You will likely feel calmer after performing deep breathing exercises, and may trade feelings of anger or fear for a focused, relaxed state of mind. Breathing exercise can be of particularly benefit to those people who are trying to escape an addiction.

Slow Down, Stop & Take a Deep Breath

When life seems ‘trína chéile’ and the world seems upside down, one of the most powerful things that you can do is to strip everything back to basics. Slow down, stop and take a deep breath. This may seem like a contradiction and that internal voice may be telling you that you don’t have time to rest. However, this simple action can result in changing your view of a situation.

Modern living moves at lightning fast speed. We are bombarded with information that is instantly available, changing and is constantly on. This makes it hard to see clearly and navigate a true path back to ourselves and who we are deep down. The ‘fight or flight’ part of our nervous systems is constantly switched to on. This has physical affects which include muscular tension, altered sleep patterns, mood changes, impaired digestion and high blood pressure. It can be challenging to make choices that are beneficial to our highest good with all this going on. So, how do you find calmness in this storm?

Begin Today

Just like the old adage implies – ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time’. Start by noticing when life is moving too quickly. Decide to stop – physically stop. Find a quiet space. Put away any electronic gadgets. Take a deep breath.

Breathe in through your nose and as you do so, your belly should gently move outwards. When you breathe out, your belly should fall. When you breathe like this, you are activating your main breathing muscle – the diaphragm. Have you ever watched a small baby sleeping? Notice how their bellies rise and fall as they breathe. This is the most relaxed form of breathing. After just a few breaths, you will notice an immediate change in your physical body – relaxing tight muscles, and just generally feeling slightly better. To improve this even more, try breathing out for slightly longer that breathing in. For example, breathe in for a count of 3 and breathe out for a count of 5. This has the effect of switching on the ‘Rest and Digest’ part of your nervous system. It starts a cascade of relaxation throughout your body. Committing to a regular breath awareness practice can lead to positive changes in all areas of your life. This includes helping you to be able to make choices that are better for your well-being.

Benefits of Deep Breathing

Early recovery is often referred to as an emotional rollercoaster and people can feel as if their minds have gone out of control. Breathing exercises can help

• The individual regain some control over their emotions. It is often said that mediation is a wonderful tool for people in recovery. The problem is that in early recovery most individuals do not have much concentration, and these breathing exercises are more appropriate.
• During the first few months of recovery the individual may be faced with powerful thoughts of craving. These relaxation techniques can help them avoid rushing into a decision that they later regret.
• These techniques can be of benefit to people who are dealing with withdrawal symptoms.
• People in early recovery may have to deal with a great deal of anxiety. These breathing techniques can help with this.
• Insomnia can be one of the withdrawal symptoms that are the most persistent. By practicing these breathing techniques the individual will find it easier to get to sleep at night.

We take approximately 20,000 breaths each day. What if just 0.5% of them were deeper and carried out with awareness? Do something nice for yourself today and take some deep conscious breaths.

‘When you own your own breath, no-one can steal your peace.’ – Unknown

Get Help at Tabor Group

If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, get help today. We can help you recover in a healthy, friendly environment and beat your addiction. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our counselors today for information at +353 (21) 488 7110 or email us at Email Us .We can help you.

Blog written by: Miriam Rigney, Quality & Risk Manager Tabor Group