From poor sleep to a nasty mood, anxiety can cause all kinds of problems in your daily life. At Beam, we believe a breathwork practice is the best way to reduce anxiety (besides powerful natural supplements, of course). Read on for our top three breathing exercises for anxiety.
Ask any wellness expert: learning how to calm down from anxiety always starts with breathing. Consciously regulating your breath brings fresh oxygen to your body, which can lower your stress levels and signal to the body that it’s OK to relax. Ready to put it into practice? Here are our top favorites.
Box breathing
Never done breathwork before? Try “box breathing,” for a good intro. Here’s how to do it:
· Exhale all the air out of your lungs.· Inhale for a count of four.
· Hold your breath for four.
· Exhale for four.
· Hold for another four before inhaling again.
· Repeat as necessary (we suggest trying it out for one minute to start).
· Pro tip: we like to picture tracing the outline of a box as we breathe.
The 4-7-8 Method
According to VeryWellMind, using this classic breathing technique, “activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation.” Translation: it teaches you how to calm down from anxiety. Here’s how it works:
· Place the tip of your tongue against the back of your top teeth.· Exhale out all your air.
· Close your mouth and inhale for a count of four through your nose.
· Once you’re at the top of your breath, hold it there for a count of seven.
· Open your mouth and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight.
Roll Breathing
According to Greatist, this is one of the top science-backed breathing exercises for anxiety.
· “Lay on your back with your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your chest.· Inhale through your nose, aiming to only fill your lower belly (not your chest) with air, then continue inhaling to fill your chest.
· You should notice your left hand rising as your belly fills with air. Your right hand will rise as your chest fills.
· Exhale slowly through your mouth, making a whooshing noise. Repeat 3 to 5 times.”
Tried all 3 and still feeling overwhelmed? Check out our hemp oil tincture, The One, for a better state of mind. If you’re tossing and turning, try our sleep powder, Dream, which contains 5 powerful natural ingredients to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed.*
by Samantha Colicchio
