Deep-Breathing Techniques For When You Need To Center Yourself

You know that feeling when you get nervous, hold your breath, then your belly tenses up? It turns out the stomach is a tremendous well for both stress and relaxation. It can either hold onto emotion or release it. According to Cleveland Clinic, the diaphragm, or the sizeable dome-shaped muscle at the base of your stomach, is the best area to work on breathing. Focus on this area by placing one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Allow yourself to let go of all tenseness in the body to let the area relax. Women, especially those of us who have been taught to suck in our entire lives, rarely let this area relax to its fullest. As you breathe slowly into your nose, allow your diaphragm to expand to its fullest potential with no judgment. Practice this breathwork for up to ten minutes daily to work through anxiety, stress, asthma, or COPD.