On Breathing

When you're nervous, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. This can make you feel light-headed and dizzy. Deep or controlled breathing helps to calm the nervous system.

There are many different ways to breathe deeply. In this post, I will share a few with you.

Eyeroll Breathing

Find a wall in your space that you are able to see from floor to ceiling. Focus on where the wall meets the floor. As you begin to breathe in deeply, roll your eyes slowly to the top of the wall, where it meets the ceiling. Once there, hold for a few seconds, then slowly breathe out as you roll your eyes down the wall. Repeat as often as needed.

Square Breathing

Imagine a square (four equal sides). You are going to imagine breathing around the square. Breathe in slowly for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, breathe out slowly for a count of four, and pause for a count of four (completing your trip around the square). Repeat as often as needed.

Acupressure Breathing

Look at the palm of your hand, and notice that there is a muscle running from your thumb to your forefinger. You will want to massage this muscle (an acupressure point) as you breathe deeply, in and out.

Another acupressure point resided behind your ears. As you breathe deeply, in and out, run your finger up and down the space behind your ear.

With each technique listed above, focus on inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth on each breath. This will help you to focus on taking deep breaths rather than shallow ones. Happy breathing!