How deep conscious breathing relieves stress

Simple tips to practise deep conscious breathing include:

• Ensure an upright posture to allow the lungs to expand and contract easily.  

• It is preferable to have eyes closed to block out external stimuli. (Though can be used when it is not safe or practical to close your eyes, like sitting in traffic, in a business meeting, family conflict etc.).  

• Then put all your attention on your breath

• Breathe in with a long slow breath and pause for 1 second before you exhale with a long slow breath

• Repeat 5 times

• Develop a slow rhythmical pattern of deep breathing.

Repeat 5 deep, slow breaths ten times a day, or ten deep slow breaths 5 times a day. This not only has an immediate calming effect, but also practiced every day you will find it has a cumulative effect over the week and beyond.

Extending deep conscious breathing for 10–20 minutes or more significantly compounds the health benefits and can be used as a form of breath-based meditation.

Correct breathing practice is arguably one of the easiest and most effective ways to address both short- and long-term physical and emotional health.