Taking full, cleansing breath is a simple and powerful, relaxation technique. It’s easy to learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and is the quickest means to overcome stress.

The basis of this technique lies in the art of breathing from the abdomen. This helps the lungs get as much fresh air as possible. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel. So the next time you feel stressed, take a minute to slow down and breathe deeply.

• 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.
• 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 feel uncomfortable in breathing from your abdomen while sitting, try it lying on the floor.  Put a small weight like book or flower on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book or flower rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

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—The author is an Auyrveda practitioner and health advisor and can be reached at aryansclinic@gmail.com