(upbeat electronic music)
- Hey munchies!
Welcome if you're new, I'm Alyssia,
and I'm so happy you're here.
We are all so busy these days.
We're all stressed and we're experiencing
more anxiety and depression now than ever before.
You're not alone, I've struggled a lot with my own
mental health growth and journey,
and I've only just begun to share that here on the channel.
But, I thought one of the best things to start with
this month and year would be some breathing exercises.
Because breathing and meditation are both things
that have really changed my life.
We obviously need to breathe to live,
and it seems so obvious, but it was crazy to me
to recognize that I spend so little time
paying attention to what keeps me alive
every passing moment and second, and that is my breath.
So, I decided to start paying attention to it a bit
as a regular practice,
but also in times of stress and anxiety and turmoil
and it was amazing to me to see what stopping
and taking a few breaths can do for my mood,
my stress, and my body.
And the benefits only became more apparent over time.
So it's something I really do believe
in and want to share with you all.
Today I'm going to go through three techniques,
but I do have a free download for you
with an additional technique on it as well
that I'll touch on at the end of the video.
Belly breathing.
For all of the techniques I'm going to show
I recommend a seated position and belly breathing.
Which means if you put your hands on your stomach
and breathe in, allow your tummy to push out
until your lungs are filled.
On your exhalation draw your stomach and diaphragm in.
So just keep that in mind throughout these exercises.
If you've never done belly breathing
pause the video and start by practicing a few breaths
with your hands on your stomach where you can feel
your stomach push out on the inhale
and back in on the exhale.
Equal breathing.
This is a beginner-level exercise,
so it's a great one to start with.
We're going to do a few of each
together so follow along with me.
Find a comfortable seated position either on the floor
or chair is also fine, and start to inhale and exhale
on a count of four through your nose.
Repeat for 10 to 15 breaths.
Let's try a few together.
Breathe in for one, two, three, four
and out for one, two, three, four
and in for one, two, three, four,
and out for one, two, three, four.
In one, two, three, four.
Out one, two, three, four.
Keep going for at least ten total breaths.
There's no hold at the top or bottom of the breath
just try to keep a continuous calm cycle going.
If you feel comfortable you could also do equal counts of
six or eight, but start with four
to get used to the rhythm and movement.
This technique helps to balance oxygen
and carbon dioxide levels, calm the nervous system,
and redirect focus.
It's also a great one to help you fall asleep.
2:1 breathing.
This one is easy too, but requires a little more focus.
Two to one means the ratio of breathing
is two counts out one count in.
And this one is especially good for when you're middle
of a panic or stressful situation.
Sit comfortably and start to breathe normally
through your nose but become aware
of your inhales and exhales.
Most people will naturally have a longer inhale
and shorter exhale at first.
Gradually begin to adjust your breathing
so your exhale becomes equal
and then eventually longer than your inhale.
First get to a count of two breaths in
and four breaths out.
Once you get the hang of it try there in and six out.
That's my personal preference for this exercise.
Some people prefer 6 and 12, but the important thing
is to make sure you aren't taking so long to exhale
that you're gasping on the next inhale.
Keep the inhale big enough
and the exhale short enough
to flow from inhale to exhale,
and back to inhale without it being stressful on your body.
My count ends up being something like this,
in for one, two, three.
Out for one, two, three,
four, five, six.
In one, two, three.
Out one, two, three,
four, five, six.
In one, two, three.
Out one, two, three,
four, five, six.
Yours might be a little quicker or slower than mine,
everybody's capacity is different
and there's no right or wrong,
but try to keep it at a ratio
of two to one exhale to inhale.
And again, there's no holding the breath
in at the top or the bottom, it's just smooth transitions.
And feel free to close your eyes if that helps you focus.
Your breaths become strong and steady
and you should really only need a few of these breaths,
even two, three, or four to go from an activated mode
to feeling more relaxed and in control.
I also like to do this specific technique
before meditating or during longer holds
when I'm stretching after exercise or during yoga.
Some people even use this technique as meditation
for five to ten minutes, just set the timer
and breathe two to one, keeping them long and controlled.
Studies have actually shown that regular practice
of this breathing technique can help bring down
heart rate and blood pressure.
4-7-8 breathing, or inhale-hold-exhale deep breathing,
or relaxing breath.
These are slow and controlled breaths
that are naturally calming, but unlike
the previous two techniques where they're continuously
transitioning inhale to exhale,
we're adding a hold at the top
which is going to help adjust your CO2 levels.
This is a more advanced technique to master
but the three stage pattern is really simple.
Inhale through your nose for four beats,
hold the breath at the top for seven beats,
and then exhale through your mouth for eight beats.
Take your time with these and go slow.
Again you don't want to be gasping for air
so find a length that works comfortably for your body.
You might feel a little lightheaded
the first time you try it as you have to find
the right rhythm for your body.
This is the pace that tends to work well for me,
in for one, two, three, four.
Hold for one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Out for one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
In for one, two, three, four.
Hold for one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Out for one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
And so on for four to ten cycles.
Each cycle will take a while so be patient.
This one takes practice and it's a great one
for when you're feeling really
in the thick of a panic attack to help regulate your breath.
But because it takes time to master
I recommend practicing it regularly
when you're more relaxed.
I also like to start meditation practices
with a few cycles of 4-7-8 breathing.
Nice job today, I hope you can use one or all of these
in your daily life to help reduce stress and anxiety,
and to just bring a sense of calm, focus,
and compassion to yourself.
Breathing is the crux of life and I found focusing on it
for just a few minutes every day can have
a huge impact on everything I do.
If you found this video useful I hope you'll subscribe
and share it with a friend.
I also have a free download with breathing techniques
and I've included one additional technique
that I didn't demonstrate here, that's for lying down.
It's a great way to release tension in your body
and I like to use it before bed.
It's called the Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique
and in the download I walk you through it.
It's very easy and definitely worth a try.
If you want more videos like this
give this one a thumbs up and leave a comment,
it really helps me and makes my day.
If you find a breathing technique you like
consider starting to use it as a meditation each day
in practicing being present.
I have a Meditation 101 video if you want to revisit that
and perhaps apply one of these techniques as well.
I'll see you tomorrow with a brand new episode and remember,
it's all a matter of Mind of Munch.