Mindfulness & Reflection

Discover 4 Breathwork Strategies to Build Resilience & Manage Stress Throughout Your Day

By practicing various breathwork strategies, you can unlock numerous benefits, from reducing anxiety and stress to improving cardiovascular health and respiratory function.

Breathing techniques have deep roots in diverse cultural traditions worldwide, reflecting centuries of wisdom in cultivating inner-harmony and resilience. Breathing is both involuntary– necessary for survival–and, voluntary. Learning how to breathe in a variety of situations can be a powerful tool for managing stress, enhancing mental clarity, and promoting longevity. By practicing various breathwork strategies, you can unlock numerous benefits, from reducing anxiety and stress, to improving cardiovascular health and respiratory function. 

The Mindful Breath

Do you ever pause to notice your breath throughout the day? Before I started practicing breathing techniques, I really only paid attention to my breath when I was running or practicing yoga. While running, one of the techniques I practiced was slow inhales through my nose and slow, long exhales through my mouth. While practicing yoga or meditation, I practiced a range of breathwork strategies such as Ujjayi (ocean breath), Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril), Diaphragmatic Breathing (deep belly breath), Kapalabhati (breath of fire), Simhasana (lion’s breath) and others. 

As I continued my yoga practice and study of breathing techniques, I began to wonder, what is my breath like while I am driving? Sitting at my computer working? Rocking my child to sleep? I genuinely thought my breath was most likely deep and even. Well, I was wrong. When I actually paid attention to my breathing, for example while working at my computer, my breath was shallow, like I was almost holding my breath. I was taking small inhales and even smaller exhales.

Around this time, I began reading Breath by James Nestor, which I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in diving deeper into the (lost) art and science behind our breath and breathing techniques. In the book Nestor states, “The way we breathe is the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we perform.” This insight underscores the profound connection between our breath and our overall well-being, highlighting how conscious breathwork strategies can positively influence our mental and emotional states. 

This resonates with me and my experience. When teaching yoga, I often remind students: Steady breath, steady mind. Chaotic breath, chaotic mind. The breath is our anchor and our foundation from which everything grows, so let’s be sure to tend to it and strengthen it.  

Let’s cover some basic techniques!

Deep Belly Breathing

Deep belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, involves fully engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm when breathing. This technique allows for deeper breaths compared to shallow chest breathing and promotes relaxation.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Position: Lay down on your back or sit comfortably with your back straight.
  2. Hand Placement: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
  3. Inhale: Breathe in deeply through your nose, allowing your stomach to rise while your chest remains still.
  4. Exhale: Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your stomach fall.
  5. Repeat: Continue for 5-10 minutes.

Who Can Benefit? Everyone can benefit from deep belly breathing, especially those experiencing stress or difficulty sleeping and women postpartum for reconnecting to and strengthening their core muscles.

Tips for Maximizing the Practice

  • Practice in a quiet environment.
  • Use this technique before bedtime or during stressful moments.

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) 

Originating from ancient yogic traditions, alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana, is a balancing technique that helps to harmonize the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Nadi in Sanskrit means “channel” or “flow” and Shodhana means “purification.” This is one of my favorite pranayamas for when I am feeling low energy, like something is stuck energetically (an emotion for example), or overwhelmed.

How to Do Alternate Nostril Breathing

  1. Position: Sit comfortably with a straight back.
  2. Hand Position: Use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
  3. Inhale: Breathe in through your left nostril.
  4. Switch: Close your left nostril with your ring finger and release your right nostril.
  5. Exhale: Exhale through your right nostril.
  6. Repeat: Continue the cycle, switching nostrils after each inhale.

Advantages

  • Reduces anxiety
  • Enhances mental clarity
  • Balances energy levels

When to Use this Technique: Ideal during meditation or whenever you need to calm your mind and rebalance your energy.

Box Breathing 

Box breathing, or square breathing, is a simple technique that involves breathing in, holding the breath, exhaling, and holding again, each for an equal count. This is my favorite breath to use to combat a rare night of insomnia or generally when I am having trouble sleeping. Additionally, box breathing is a technique used by military soldiers, particularly Navy SEALs, to manage stress and maintain calm under pressure. (Nestor, 2020)

Guide to Practicing Box Breathing

  1. Inhale: Breathe in through your nose for a count of four.
  2. Hold: Hold your breath for a count of four.
  3. Exhale: Exhale through your mouth for a count of four.
  4. Hold: Hold your breath again for a count of four.
  5. Repeat: Continue for several cycles.

Situations Where Box Breathing is Helpful

  • Before sleep
  • During stressful situations
  • Prior to important meetings or presentations

Variations to Try

  • Add a visualization element by imagining a box in your mind.
  • Increase the count to six or eight for a deeper practice.

Pranayama Breathing 

Pranayama is a collection of breathing techniques from ancient yogic practices designed to control (yama) the breath and enhance prana (life energy). Below, I have listed just a few, there are many more.  There are numerous benefits of the Pranayama technique, it can be used for stress relief, to boost immunity, enhance lung capacity and relieve tension in the body, and promote an overall sense of calm and well-being.

Different Pranayama Techniques

  • Ujjayi (ocean breath): Inhale deeply through the nose with a slight constriction in the throat, producing a soft sound.
  • Kapalabhati (breath of fire): Short, forceful exhales followed by passive inhales, focusing on the diaphragm.
  • Simhasana (lion’s breath): Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale forcefully through your mouth while making a roaring sound and extending your tongue out. This pose aims to relieve tension in the face and throat, improve circulation, and stimulate the platysma muscle in the front of the throat. It also has a calming effect and can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Enhancing Your Breathwork Experience 

Practice breathwork daily and make it a habit. By incorporating breathwork into your regular routine you will find the experience will have lasting benefits. If you can, set aside specific times each day for practicing different techniques. What I love about breathwork is you can practice anytime, anywhere. 

Tips for Making Breathwork Practice A Daily Habit

  • Choose a place that positively supports your breath practice. Find a cozy spot at home or out in nature. Play meditation music or light a candle to begin your practice. 
  • Outside of your intentional practice time, begin to notice your breath at different moments during different activities throughout the day. Just by shifting our awareness to our breath, our breath begins to slow and lengthen, and thus our sense of calm and sense of presence begins to expand.
  • Pair breathing techniques with movement to help improve breath control, increase oxygen intake and promote relaxation. I highly recommend trying this! My favorite movements to pair with breathing techniques are: yoga, stretching, Tai Chi, Qigong, hiking and running.
  • Extend your exhale and practice holding. Longer exhales trigger a “rest and restore” state or the parasympathetic nervous system versus a stress state or “fight or flight” or which is the result of operating in the sympathetic nervous system. When practicing breathing techniques, we often focus on inhales. Extending your exhales and holding your breath between inhales and exhales increases your lung capacity, slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure.

Connecting Daily Breathwork Practice to Travel 

Having traveled quite a bit myself for both personal pleasure and as a trip leader, I can tell you that many people will experience anxiety and stress at different moments during their journey: you can have anxiety when you fly, your luggage doesn’t make the flight, your flight is delayed or canceled, you miss a train or show up in the dark to your hostel. This is normal. Whether this is something you have experienced before or it is unexpected, being familiar with breathing techniques and when to use them may help you stay calm and present, improve your overall experience, and to develop a flexible mindset that will be useful in navigating new places.

Incorporating breathwork strategies into your routine will help you manage stress and jet lag symptoms when traveling

Before traveling, use box breathing exercises to calm any pre-travel stress and get a good night’s sleep before you travel. Boost your immunity by keeping yourself grounded and balanced with techniques like Nadi Shodhana. During transit, practice slow, deep breathing, such as the 4-7-8 technique, to stay relaxed on flights and manage symptoms of jet lag and motion sickness. Upon arrival, choose a grounding breath technique like box breathing to help you acclimate to your new environment, or an energizing technique like Kapalabhati to boost your energy and alertness.

Throughout your trip, establish a daily breathwork routine to set a positive tone for your mornings and manage stress effectively.  My recommendation would be to do this first thing in the morning, choose a breathing technique that you want to try or that you like, start with 5 minutes, don’t overthink it and pair it with 5-10 minutes of writing morning pages (optional). Whatever you choose, don’t overthink it and be consistent. I know you will end up beginning each day with more presence and groundedness, allowing you to be connected and open during your travel. 

An Invaluable Tool 

Breathwork is an invaluable and accessible tool for enhancing your daily life. What’s even better it is free and the results speak for themselves! By becoming more mindful of your breathing patterns and incorporating techniques from various cultural traditions, you are laying the groundwork for inner harmony, resilience, and well-being.

As you engage with the world around you and navigate the day, remember the profound impact your breath can have on your emotional state, mood, overall health, and focus.  Whether you are involved in high-impact or low-impact activities, close to home or traveling off in new places, conscious breathing has the power to transform your outlook, mindset, and ability to respond responsibly, adapt and perform. By making breathwork a regular practice, you can strengthen your foundation and navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and clarity. 

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Did something in this blog resonate with you? Did you try a breathing technique? Do you have thoughts or questions? Explore how breathwork and mindful travel can empower you to live authentically and fully, embracing personal growth and well-being on every adventure. Share them with us in our Facebook Community or on social media! We would love to hear from you! 

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