In part 2 of our breathwork blog series with breath coach Aimee Hartley and author of Breathe Well, we will be guiding you through some ways in which you can benefit from breath work as well as giving you some actionable breathing patterns to assist you along the journey.
But first, are you wondering who can benefit from breathwork? Keep reading as Aimee gives us some deeper insight supported by her experience of over 10 years as a breath coach.
Anyone with a pair of nostrils! With the knowledge of my yoga teacher training and breath coach training and juggling my teaching with bringing up my two children, I realised day to day breath practices were so much more helpful to me than the deeper transformative work that I found suddenly I had limited time to practice. My two children see me practicing and teaching and started to copy me and when my son started school I suddenly realised how stressful the educational system can be for some children and teachers. I have since founded www.schoolbreathe.com which teaches 3 – 11 year olds (and their teachers) breath techniques to help them focus, feel calm and centred. And so much more. My youngest client has been a 5-week old baby and my eldest a 79-year-old lady who after the session said she had finally known what relaxation felt like.
We are so lucky that there are so many breath practices to choose from. (There are over 70 breath practices to choose from in the Breathe Well book). From calming our energies by slowing our breath rate down, to quickening up our breath and changing its rhythm to give our body a natural energy boost. There’s a breath practice for any occasion. Here are my two favourites.
Breath Benefits:
- Activates the ‘rest and digest’ system
- Focuses the mind on the present moment
- Relaxes the diaphragm
- Eases stress instantly
Breathe…
Have your hands resting in your lap with the palms facing upwards. Slide your right hand under your left hand. Move the right thumb to the centre of the left palm and apply pressure to the centre of the palm of the left hand. This acupressure point is for the diaphragm and can help release tension from the respiratory muscles. Close the eyes and breathe gently with all the focus on the breath and be aware of the pressure you are placing on the palm of your hand. Breathing in through the nose and out through the nose or mouth, whichever is more comfortable.
Repeat the sequence 5 times to help your frustrations melt away.
By extending the exhalation here we trigger the parasympathetic nervous system. Breathe in for a count of 5 and breathe out for a count of 7. Or extend the exhale a little longer if the count of 7 is easy. Breathing in and out through the nose!
Benefits:
- Triggers parasympathetic nervous system
- Brings you into the present moment
- Good for sleep
Breathe…
Breathe in through the nose for 5. Placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
Breathe out through the mouth for 7.
With so many of us facing the unexpected challenges at this time, we want to ensure that we could offer you a full roster of simple useful breathing tools. So not only can you give Aimee's recommended breathing patterns a try, which are outlined above but also give the breathing techniques that are built into our calming Melo device: Click here to find out more
Once you’ve given these breathing patterns a try, pass it along to someone who needs this advice the most…
TheaWellbeing and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. All material on theawellbeing.com is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health-related programs.
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