
5 Breaths to Sanity is a breathing exercise that involves manipulating the breath in ways that bring about certain feelings on an emotional level.
It is designed for:
- Developing the mind and the body
- Helping you enter a state of meditation
- Relaxing your mind
No matter what emotion you are trying to achieve with this breathing exercise, the beauty is that it does not cost you a thing and it can be done anywhere at anytime.
There are no hard and fast rules stipulating when to do this breathing exercise. It really depends when you need it most to bring your frazzled nerves in order.
You can use this breathing exercise at any moment to:
- Achieve a state of calm
- Reduce stress in tense situations
- Wind down at the end of the day or before bed
When you are having a tough day at work or dealing with conflict, you can use these calming breaths to help reduce stress. Sit back, close your eyes, and take these deep breaths.
Whatever the duration, 5 Breaths to Sanity can bring you many health benefits, including:
- Reducing your blood pressure
- Calming your nerves
- Tightening your core muscles
- Aid in better digestion
- Aid in the elimination of waste and toxins
- Bring you higher levels of energy
- Increase your awareness of the functions within your body
- Reduce stress
5 Breaths to Sanity
1. Get into a comfortable position either lying on your back or sitting. If you are sitting down, make sure that you keep your back as straight as you can and let your shoulders relax and drop.
2. Close your eyes. Begin breathing through your nose only.
3. Breathe as you normally would for a few cycles. Check yourself. Is your belly riding and falling with every breath in and breath out? If you can answer “yes,” that is what you seek. If this is not the case, you will need to practice some with your hands on you chest and belly respectively until you can get the desired result. It takes practice.
4. Once you have the rhythm, continue as long as you need focusing on the air moving through your nose.
5. Then start the process. Breathe in on the slow count of five, hold for the slow count of five, release slowly on the count of five.
6. Repeat five times.
I have had days when my nerves were so completely frazzled that sleep was a distant friend. After 5 Breaths to Sanity (sometimes repeated) I drifted off so completely and soundly that I had no recollection of tossing in the morning!