Hypnotherapy & Breathing

When you are feeling tense and your mood is low, your breathing probably will be very shallow and constricted. Shallow breathing limits the amount of oxygen flowing into the lungs, thus causing an inadequate supply of oxygen in the blood. Shallow breathing also leads to exhaustion, irritability, low energy levels and can invoke an emotional imbalance. This can be prevented with simple, effective deep breathing exercises done as often as possible throughout the day.

By deepening your breath and keeping the rhythm consistent, you increase the amount of oxygen that is reaching your lungs, blood, organs, and cells and nourish and rejuvenate body tissue . This oxygen is vital for your physiological systems to operate properly. Deep breathing also relaxes your body and mind so that you can examine your negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones.

Exercise 1: To become aware of your breathing pattern
The following exercise will enable you to become more aware of your own breathing pattern:

1. Lie down on your back, in a quiet place. Your legs straight and slightly apart, your arms at
Your sides and not touching your body, palms up, and eyes closed
Or sit in a comfortable chair, maintaining good posture. Your body should be as relaxed as possible. Close your eyes. Scan your body for tension.
Breathe slowly and deeply, feeling a sense of calm relaxation come over your whole body.
Concentrate on loosening all tensions.
2. Focus your attention on your breathing.
3. Place your hand on your body where it rises and falls. If this spot is on your chest, your breathing is too shallow and you're not fully using your lungs.
4. Place both hands on your abdomen and follow your breathing, noticing how your abdomen rises and falls.
5. Breathe through your nose. Concentrate on breathing deeply through your nose, filling your entire lungs so that your chest and abdomen rise and fall with each breath
7. Notice if your chest is moving in harmony with your abdomen.
8. Now place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose into your abdomen. You should feel your abdomen rise with this inhalation and your chest should move only a little.
9. Exhale through your mouth, keeping your mouth, tongue, and jaw relaxed. Relax as you focus on the sound and feeling of long, slow, deep breaths.
As you breathe, check your body for tension. If you discover any part of your body under tension, concentrate on those tight or rigid muscles and let the tension flow away.

By practicing this exercise, you will become more aware of your breathing patterns and habits. Once you feel acquainted and in touch with your breathing, do the exercise below to learn to deepen your breathing.

Exercise 2 to deepen your breathing:

1. Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and feet apart. Your back should be flat on the floor.
2. Mentally examine each part of your body. Is there any tension in any part of your body? If yes, let it flow away.
3. Rest one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest.
4. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, taking the breath into your stomach so that your hand feels it rise. Your chest should move slightly along with your abdomen.
5. Practice step 4 until it feels comfortable to be breathing air into your abdomen. Once you achieve this comfort, inhale deeply and then blow the air out gently through your mouth.
6. Deep-breathe for five to ten minutes once or twice each day.
After you have become comfortable with this technique, you can practice the exercise for up to twenty minutes at a time, whenever you feel the need to relax and focus your energy.

Exercise 3 can be done while sitting. The steps are as follows:

1. Take a deep breath as you drop your chin toward your chest, touching the chest if possible. Exhale as you gently raise your head slowly to an upright position. Repeat as desired. It may also be helpful to do some “head rolls,” in which the head is rolled slowly to the right, to the chest, to the left, and to the chest in a semicircle.
2. Take a deep breath as you stretch your arms over your head. Hold your breath and the stretch for a few seconds, and then release both slowly.
3. Take a deep breath as you stretch your arms out in front of you. Hold your breath and the stretch for a few seconds, and then release both slowly.

Take a deep breath as you stretch your arms behind you. Hold your breath and the stretch for a few seconds, and then release both slowly. Repeat 10 times several times a day.