Breathe for better health: The two–minute relaxation challenge

 By William Taylor  

We live in a stressful, fast–changing and busy world. Having the ability to relax can seem impossible on top of everything else we do each day. The following relaxation exercise may help and can be accomplished in two minutes or less.

The exercise can be practiced while standing, sitting or lying down. Your eyes can be open or closed. It is better to do while sitting quietly, but can also be done while sitting at a traffic light, waiting in a checkout line or just before you fall asleep. The Two Minute Relaxation Challenge is comprised of three steps.

Step one: Focus on your breath. Begin by giving your attention to the breath at the entrance to your nose. Focus on the movement of each and every in–breath and out–breath. If this is not possible, focus on where you feel the breath the strongest, such as your lips, chest, or belly. Always keep the attention to only one area.

Try to breathe normally without changing the breath. If thoughts, emotions, or sensations take you away from your breath, this is normal. Our minds are extremely busy and move back and forth between thoughts frequently. As soon as you realize your focus is off the breath, just let go and move your attention back to your breathing. This helps to develop attention on the breath and, over time, will help with relaxation.

Step two: Become aware and feel what is happening with your breath. Are you breathing through your mouth or your nose? Are you breathing deep starting low in the belly or shallow starting in your chest? Are the breaths slow or fast, or quiet or rough? If you can become aware of how you’re breathing, it will be easier to let the stress go.

Step three: Lengthen, smooth, and quiet the breath. Fast, shallow, and rough breathing triggers stress, while slow, deep, and quiet breathing helps with relaxation. When we become stressed, the fight or flight response kicks in. This increases our blood pressure, heart rate, and breath rate. If we can lengthen and slow the breath, it can help us to relax.

To develop a more relaxed breath, breathe in a breath that fills your lungs with ease, starting low in your belly and working your way up. You want to breathe out to expel the maximum air possible while maintaining a gentle, easy, and comfortable breath, ending low in the belly. Allow your lower ribs to expand on the in–breath and contract with the out–breath. Work to allow your lower ribs to expand and contract all the way around your body and not just in the front. The more you breathe into and out of your belly and expand and contract your lower ribs the more relaxed your breath will become.

This exercise can be modified to fit each person’s needs. In the beginning, it may be difficult to focus. In this case it may be better to start with step number three and try to lengthen, quiet, and slow the breath. Then use step number two and become aware of your breathing. If the breath is still fast and rough, you could go back to lengthening the breath. This could go back and forth several times until the breath slows and lengthens and you begin to feel relaxed. You can also do just one of the three steps the entire time. There is no right or wrong way to do this exercise.

When I do this exercise, I can feel the relaxing results carrying over throughout the day. If we can spend a few minutes a day with mind and body exercises, we can learn to let stress go and be more relaxed. The key is to do it every day. It is so simple you may think it is of no use – we all breathe, so what is the big deal? Over time, breathing exercises have restored my life and have shown me how to relax and be happier. Try it for yourself, do it every day for a month, and then ask yourself if it has made a difference in your stress level.

For more info, visit finishhealthy.com