A Deep Cleansing Breath for Mental and Emotional Clarity

First, breathe in slowly, through your nose. While you can do this anywhere and at any time, the very first time you do this you probably should not be driving as you may actually take your attention off the road. Fencing or skateboarding probably wouldn't be a good idea, either...

Second, imaging you are filling your lungs with air, from the bottom of your lungs to the top. Your stomach may expand a little, as will your chest. That's OK, and it does not make you look fat. Allow your shoulders to rise a little as your lungs get full.

Third, exhale slowly, through your mouth. Purse your lips to create resistance, so that your lungs get to absorb all that wonderful oxygen in the air. Empty your lungs from the top to the bottom, allowing your shoulders to drop, your chest to sink in, and your stomach to contract.

That's it! Don't worry if you aren't relaxed completely. That's not the purpose of the one-time deep breath. There' s a lot more to that one breath that really becomes the one-breath relaxation if you do some other things, too. But once you start doing those other things, they make the single breath much more effective.

So... now for some of those other things.... Do these at home when you have at least 20 minutes to walk through the technique. Understanding the technique will help you use it for the single breath throughout the day

One more thing... The single breath doesn't mean you stop breathing, or that you have to stop breathing deeply after one, single deep breath. It means one will do wonders when you are stressed and remember how wonderful deep breathing has been.

1. Get comfortable. Sitting is best, so that you can move your shoulders up and down a little.

2. Breath in slowly and deeply through your nose. Fill your lungs from bottom to top. Allow your shoulders to lift a little if they want to.

3. If you can, hold your breath for a few seconds. Don't tax yourself. The breath works for you without extra stress on your lungs!

4. Exhale slowly, through your mouth. Purse your lips to create resistance. Allow your shoulders to lower, your chest to sink, and your stomach to contract. Don't make yourself exhale too slowly. Discomfort does not help to relieve stress.

5. Start the cycle again, if you can. Inhale, hold, exhale. Three times, then allow yourself to breath quickly if need be. You have worked pretty hard already.

6. When your breathing is normal, repeat steps 2 through 4, up to three times again. Don't overexert yourself! It will not make you relax faster!

More is not better in deep breathing.

7. 20 minutes, 3 cycles of 3 breaths. Once per day or twice if you have time. Listen to music if you'd like, or, better yet, listen to your breathing. There's a reason for that... Listening to Your Deep Breathing.

After a few days of this, you will notice your body begins to relax after the third breath, then the second, then immediately as you begin to breath "that" deep breath. Your body is smart. It knows you want it to relax, so it will. It will relax a little, immediately as you think>breathe deeply>inhale. Already your body is responding. It will take about a week to get it to that point, but if you do the "home" work everyday it will get to that point.

Try it... what have you got to lose? Some stress maybe. And hey -- you're breathing anyway...