Breathing As A Way Of Reducing Stress

By Gabriel Lozen

Stress is a normal part of our daily lives. Everyone wishes to be stress free but no one can avoid it. Fortunately, it can be reduced by simple technique of breathing. There are many proven ways to reduce stress but this article will mainly focus on breathing technique. Many people are not aware that breathing can help in calming a person thus reducing stress.

There are two type of stress according to the experts in this field of study. The first is eustress which is a positive stress and the other one is distress, a negative stress. It is very common for many people to simply say stress, which actually means distress. The question is who wants distress? Probably there is no one who wants it.

Experts say that breathing has a direct relationship towards a person's emotional state. A person who is able to control his breathing can control his emotional state. There are two types of breathing:

1. Abdominal breathing - this means a person is breathing from his abdomen. 2. Intercostal breathing - this means a person is breathing from his chest.

A newborn baby is said to be breathing from his belly at the very first seconds of life. Unconsciously, at the early childhood humans switch from abdominal breathing to intercostals breathing. It can be said that humans switch from a stress-free mode of breathing to a stressed mode. Relying on to this fact, it can be concluded that abdominal breathing is the relaxation breathing and intercostals breathing is the opposite.

Going back to reducing stress and knowing the two types of breathing, a person must learn how to get back on abdominal breathing. Mastering this type of breathing will enable a person to relax, which is the start of stress reduction. Actually, abdominal breathing is used by yoga practitioners for relaxation.

To start breathing using the abdomen a person must try to breathe slowly. He must be able to control his air intake using his abdominal muscles and not the chest. Slow and deep breathing using the abdomen can increase the flow of oxygen in the body promoting a calming effect. The extra oxygen in the blood helps release endorphins which are naturally occurring hormones that promote relaxation and re-energizes the body.

Doing this can be difficult at first but with constant practice a person will learn it in no time. Learning how to relax and control stress is very important. Uncontrolled stress may lead to more serious emotional and mental disorders and must be dealt with immediately. - 30309

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