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The many benefits of meditation might be well documented, but the breathing exercises associated with mediation might be what's actually doing all the good work to your body and your mind.
How you breathe has a direct effect on your heart rate, which in turn can influence every major system in your body in a sort-of sad chain reaction.
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Try exhaling for twice as long as you inhale, and now concentrate on repeating that length of exhale for, say, fifteen to thirty seconds. You'll notice your heart rate slow immediately.
If you need a mantra to repeat to stay in the zone, try a phrase with 4 or 5 syllables.
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Breathing is at the core of ancient (and currently trendy) mindfulness practices, from yoga and tai chi to meditation.
However, studies suggest that breathing exercises alone, derived from...
It involves filling the lungs to the max and goes by various names like belly or diaphragmatic breathing.
It has been linked to improved cognitive performance, lower stress levels, and lower blood pressure.
Central to ancient Hindu philosophy was prana, described as vital “airs” or “energies” flowing through the body. Stemming from that belief, yoga was built on pranayama or breath retention.
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How it’s done: Inhale for a count of 4, then exhale for a count of 4, all through the nose, which adds a natural resistance to the breath. Once you manage it, you can go up to a c...
When it works best: Before an exam, or any stressful event.
How it’s done: Starting in a comfortable meditative pose, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril. Continue the pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, closing it off with the right thumb and exhaling through the left nostril.
When it works best: Crunch time, or whenever it’s time to focus or energize.
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