Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief
by/margit cathrine moller

Right now, at this very minute, millions of people all over the world are paying attention to something so powerful yet so ordinary that it can easily be ignored: our breath. I am not just talking about Zen Buddhists in Thailand, or the Yoga masters in India, or the Benedictine Monks in Rome, or participants of a workshop in the Light Institute in New Mexico. Every day, ordinary people – professionals, businessmen, career executives, housewives, students – have discovered something that is, literally, right in our faces: proper breathing has the power to heal our bodies and transform our minds.

Just try this simple exercise at home. Do nothing but notice your breath. Pay attention to how you exhale and inhale. You will notice that once you are mindful of your breath, your breathing becomes deeper and more relaxed, helping your body find its own center. And when your body is deep in relaxation, your stresses will melt.

But you will also notice that it is not really that simple. Breathwork is a technique that can be mastered through years of regular practice like any other discipline. You may find it ironic that one of the first things I do with my clients is to help them breath properly, which they should already be good it considering that they have been breathing since birth.

Oftentimes though, we ignore our breath. We forget how valuable it is. When we breathe, we exchange life with the whole Universe. How amazing is that?

The world has rediscovered the wisdom of the ages. Ancient practices like the Tibetan Tantric Tummo and the Buddhist Anapanasati are being studied and given life in various centers all over the world.

But for me, those techniques will certainly help you in your stress relief.
But they all begin with one thing: the commitment to focus on your breathing.
Start doing it now.