In Need of Immediate Stress Relief? Try These 3 Deep-Breathing Techniques.

A few weeks ago, my seven-year-old son told me he was having trouble falling asleep. He said that he was having “many thoughts” at night and couldn’t stop his mind from thinking. I told him about a breathing practice that I had taught his older brother a few years earlier and suggested he try it. The practice was simple: a few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing followed by a few minutes of consciously and gently extending each exhalation.

“Maybe you’d like to try it?” I said. “I think it was helpful for your brother sometimes.” Just then, his older brother, who had been passing through the room, announced, “You’re wrong, Mom. It doesn’t help me sometimes,” he said matter-of-factly. “It helps me all the time.”

I was pleasantly stunned. I hadn’t realized that he was still using the practice. It was a reminder that pranayama, or breathwork, does not have to be complicated to be effective.

What Is Pranayama? 

Pranayama, which literally means “to extend the vital life force,” is an incredibly rich practice made up of many breathing techniques that vary in complexity—from exercises simple enough for a child to do to those appropriate only for experienced students. The fourth of the eight limbs of yoga as outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, pranayama breathing include simple techniques—such as gentle diaphragmatic breathing and comfortably lengthening the exhalation— that can be used at any time to transform not only your breath but your state of mind.

Calming Effects of Pranayama Breathing Techniques 

In my work as a yoga therapist, I treat people struggling with a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, and even life-threatening illness. Time and time again, I’ve seen simple pranayama breathing techniques reduce stress and anxiety; promote restful sleep; ease pain; increase attention and focus; and, on a more subtle level, help people connect to a calm, quiet place within so they experience greater clarity and well-being on every level.

Patanjali described pranayama as a process by which you can break your unconscious breathing pattern and make the breath long, easy, and smooth. Most people’s unconscious breathing patterns are anything but that; they tend to be tense, shallow, and erratic. When we are afraid or hear bad news, we tend to gasp by inhaling and then holding the breath. These exercises activate the sympathetic nervous system (often referred to as the “fight or flight response”).

One of the primary reasons pranayama breathing techniques that foster a long, smooth exhalation are so beneficial is because, when practiced correctly, they can support the parasympathetic nervous system by activating what is commonly known as the “relaxation response.” This reduces stress and its effects on your body and mind. As a result, your resilience in the face of challenges or adversity increases, and your mind becomes more focused and still. As Patanjali said, the result of reaching this state of attention is that you experience clearer perception and a greater connection with your true Self.

When you’re connected with your true self, it becomes easier to see what is not your true self—your mind, body, thoughts, feelings, work, and essentially any of the changing circumstances around you. This discernment allows you to act from a place of the self. When you do that, you experience less suffering.

3 Pranayama Techniques to Help You De-Stress 

The practices that follow—diaphragmatic breathing; Sitali (or Sitkari); and extended exhale breathing—are a solid introduction to pranayama. Each supports the parasympathetic nervous system, quiets the mind, and helps to bring about a state of focus.

As you continue to practice these techniques over time, you may start to notice when you are unintentionally holding your breath or breathing shallowly. You also may begin to associate patterns of the breath with your moods or states of mind. This self-awareness is the first step toward using pranayama to help shift your patterns and, through regular practice, create positive change in your life.

Try each practice daily for a week and observe how it affects your body, breath, and mind in order to figure out which is best for you. You can do them at just about any time of day, though preferably not immediately following a large meal. Be sure not to push past your limits. If you feel light-headed, stop the practice and breathe normally.

1. Basic Breath Awareness

This gentle introduction to diaphragmatic breathing teaches you how to breathe more fully and consciously.

Benefits:

• Quiets and calms the entire nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety and improving self-awareness.

When to Practice:

• At least once a day, at any time.

How to:

• Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-distance apart.
• Place one palm on your abdomen and breathe comfortably for a few moments, noticing the quality of your breath. Does the breath feel tense? Strained? Uneven? Shallow? Simply observe the breath without any judgment.
• Gradually begin to make your breathing as relaxed and smooth as possible, introducing a slight pause after each inbreath and outbreath. Once your breath feels relaxed and comfortable, notice the movement of your body. As you inhale, your abdomen naturally expands; as you exhale, feel the slight contraction of your abdomen. Gently expand your abdomen even more as you inhale and contract it even more as you exhale to support the natural movement of the diaphragm and experience the pleasure of giving yourself a full, relaxed breath. Continue the practice for 6-12 breaths.

2. The Cooling Breath (Sitali/Sitkari Pranayama)

Sitali Pranayama is often translated as “the cooling breath” because the act of drawing air across the tongue and into the mouth is said to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system. To practice Sitali, you need to be able to curl the sides of your tongue inward so that it looks like a straw. The ability to curl the tongue is a genetic trait. If you can’t, try an alternative technique called Sitkari pranayama, which offers the same effects.

Benefits:

• Can improve focus; reduce agitation, anger, and anxiety; and pacify excess heat in the system.

When to Practice: 

• Twice a day, or as needed during stressful times. Sitali and Sitkari pranayama are particularly supportive when you’re feeling drowsy in the morning or during an afternoon slump when you need to improve your focus.

How to Practice Sitali Pranayama:

• Sit tall in a comfortable position, either in a chair or on the floor, with your shoulders relaxed.
• Slightly lower your chin, curl your tongue lengthwise, and push it out of your mouth a comfortable distance. Inhale gently through the “straw” formed by your curled tongue as you slowly lift your chin toward the ceiling, lifting only as far as is comfortable for your neck. At the end of the inhalation, with your chin comfortably raised, retract your tongue and close your mouth. Exhale slowly through your nostrils as you gently lower your chin back to a neutral position. Repeat for 8-12 breaths.

How to Practice Sitkari Pranayama:

• Open your mouth slightly with your tongue just behind your teeth.
• Inhale slowly through the space between your upper and lower teeth, letting the air wash over your tongue as you raise your chin toward the ceiling. At the end of the inhalation, close your mouth and exhale through your nostrils as you slowly lower your chin back to neutral. Repeat for 8-12 breaths.

3. The Long Exhale

This is a 1:2 breathing practice, which involves gradually increasing your exhalation until it is twice the length of your inhalation. Keep in mind that an exhalation that is only slightly longer than an inhalation can induce a calming effect, so don’t push yourself beyond your capacity. (If you do, you’ll likely activate the sympathetic nervous system, or stress response, and feel agitated rather than calm.)

Benefits:

• Can reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.

When to Practice: 

• Before bedtime, in the middle of the night when you’re struggling with insomnia, or at any time of the day to calm stress or anxiety. (In general, it’s best to avoid practicing 1:2 breathing first thing in the morning unless you’re experiencing anxiety. The relaxing effects of the practice tend to make it more difficult to get up and go on with your day.)

How to:

• Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-distance apart. Place one palm on your abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling your abdomen expand as you inhale and gently contract as you exhale. With your palm on your abdomen, mentally count the length of each inhalation and exhalation for several more breaths. If the inhalation is longer than the exhalation, you can begin to make them the same length over the next few breaths.
• Once your inhalation and exhalation are equal in length, gradually increase the length of your exhalation by 1-2 seconds by gently contracting your abdomen. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to gradually increase the exhalation by 1-2 seconds once every few breaths. Make sure you experience no strain as the exhalation increases. Continue until the exhalation is up to twice the length of the inhalation, but not beyond. For example, if the inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds. If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, or if you’re gasping on the next inhalation, back off to a ratio that is more comfortable for 8-12 breaths. Finish your practice with 6-8 natural, relaxed breaths.

This article has been updated. Originally published June 15, 2012.