How to breathe better

Many of the techniques that have been formally researched are derived from pranayama, yogic breathing that dates back to ancient India:

• Ujayyi: Deep breathing with a narrowed throat, creating an ocean-like sound, often recommended while doing yoga asanas.
• Bhastrika, or “bellows breath”: inhaling and exhaling forcefully.
• Nadi Sodhan and Anulom Vilom: Types of alternate nostril breathing, where air is inhaled in one nostril and exhaled through the other, sometimes with breath holding.

Although these shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for therapy or a cure for severe anxiety, they can be a free, simple tool for both short-term relief and long-term benefit.