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Heavy Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing practices can promote oxygen supply to the brain and body while managing stress levels. Whether you're exercising or having a difficult day at work, integrating heavy breathing techniques into your life or meditation can improve your mental and physical health.

  1. Breath Counting

    • Best practiced when you are sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, count in your head each time you exhale. Take deep breaths, and release your mind of everything but the breathing. Once you reach the number five, begin the cycle again with the number one. This exercise helps you focus on your breathing and release the mind. You will know your thoughts are wandering when you lose count or forget to stay between the numbers one to five.

    The 4-7-8 Technique

    • To deal with momentary stress or frustration, utilize the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Put the tip of your tongue against the back of your upper teeth. Inhale through your nose for a count of four. Then, hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, exhale through your mouth for a count of eight, making a whoosh sound. Practice the 4-7-8 breath four times.

    Stimulating Breath

    • This should be practiced for 15 seconds the first time you do it; with more practice, you can increase the duration of your sessions. Inhale and exhale quickly through your nose, while keeping your mouth closed and stimulating the diaphragm. Ideally, perform a sequence of three inhalations and exhalations per second. This technique provides a quick energy boost as well as mental clarity.

    Breathing in Yoga Practice

    • In yoga practice, pranayama is the science of breath control or techniques and is associated with linking the mind, body and spirit together in breath. It is also thought to remove toxins from the body, to aid in digestion and replenishing of energy, and to fight stress. In many yoga disciplines, such as hatha and vinyasa, breathing is integrated into movements of the practice. The complete breath means breathing as deeply as possible, expanding the lungs to their fullest capacity, and is a basic necessity of practicing yoga. You can also practice low breathing, which is not taking as large breaths as in the complete breath, and it shifts the diaphragm while filling the lower part of the chest. Inferior to low breathing and the complete breath are middle breathing and high breathing, which are much more shallow.

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