Pranayama

Find Calm and Boost Your Immunity with These 9 Yogic Breathing Exercises

Try these easy pranayama practices to access mental clarity and release tension and stress.

April 16, 2020 Alanna Zelac

For exclusive access to all our stories, including sequences, teacher tips, video classes, and more, join Outside+ today.

When you’re under stress, your breath may be faster than normal, or you might find that you’re unconsciously holding it in. Consider this a reflection of how your nervous system is faring. The good news is that you can use conscious breathing techniques, or pranayama, to bring it back to a rest and digest state, and limit the damaging effects of stress.

When faced with uncertainty and feeling ungrounded, Melissa Eisler, a certified leadership coach, mindfulness facilitator, and author, recommends breathing exercises that focus on the exhalation. “These are particularly helpful in managing anxiety and stress because our exhales are neurologically tied to the relaxation response in the brain,” she says. “That’s why we sigh when we are relieved!”

When you practice calming breathing techniques regularly, it can also boost focus and immunity. According to a 2018 study from the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and the Global Brain Health Institute, breathing can regulate levels of noradrenaline—a chemical released when you focus, Your body produces too much when you’re stressed and too little when you’re tired, but just the perfect amount when you slow your breath down and practice calming pranayama. Researchers found that shallow breathing tends to keep the body in a cycle of stress, which can make you more prone to illness.

“During times of crisis and high stress breathing practices help us to focus on what is occurring within us now and to generate peace and calm in the midst of the unknown, says Shems Heartwell, a life and relationship coach. “We may not have the ability to change the circumstances or situations we are in, but we do have the ability to shift how we respond to them.”

Create space and wellness by grounding yourself with these nine pranayama techniques and practices.