1.Take a Deep Breath 

 

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Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing (Kovacs). So, turn tension into relaxation! Let's try it:

  • Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
  • Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
  • Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
  • Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

If you have a hard time breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying on the floor.  Put a small book on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

 

(Source: http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm)

 

 


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