7 Morning Breathing Exercises to Boost Energy and Productivity • Yoga Basics

Setting up a morning breathing exercise is a quick and effective way to strengthen your health and prepare for a successful day. Simple enough to fit into your everyday life, they can help you wake up energetic and ready to take on the world! You can practice these practically anywhere, anytime – in your bed after you wake up, or right before or after your commute in your car. Adding a few minutes of pranayama to your morning routine can leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and energized to deal with whatever is coming and you will get more done as the day progresses. The first step is to choose which of these six techniques is best for you.

What is a morning breathing exercise?

Morning breathing is a mindful and conscious exercise with one or more breathing exercises for a few minutes in the morning. These are usually practiced sitting down, but you can also practice lying down or standing. The goal of adding some deep breathing exercises to your morning routine is to give you an energy, focus, and rest boost for the day ahead.

Benefits of Morning Breathing Exercises

We can summarize the importance of the morning breathing exercise in one word: awareness. When we are aware of the present moment, our minds and bodies become more relaxed and balanced. We feel better as the day progresses because we started the day with a few minutes to calm and center the mind and emotions. This helps us focus on the essentials instead of being distracted by unimportant things. It also allows for more clarity in deciding how best to spend your time.

Pranayama uses unique breathing patterns to achieve various physical and mental health benefits, such as: B. increased oxygen and blood flow, decreased blood pressure, improved lung capacity, better concentration and more rest. When you practice mindful breathing, your attention shifts to the present moment. This is an effective way to reduce stress and worry as you don't have to think about the past or future or what to do next. Just a few mindful and slow deep breaths in the morning can increase your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and prepare you for a fantastic day.

Chest breathing vs. diaphragmatic breathing

Chest breathing and shallow breathing often contribute to anxiety and stress in the body. When we're nervous or anxious, our heart rate increases, blood pumps through the arteries faster, and oxygen levels drop. This causes us to breathe faster than normal and take shorter breaths. This can lead to shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, headache, and muscle tension. In stressful times, you are more likely to breathe out of your chest, especially if you've been feeling stressed lately. If this happens often enough, panic attacks can occur.

Morning breathing exercises are a great way to increase your awareness of unhealthy chest breathing and shallow breathing patterns. Once you are aware, you can consciously switch to a diaphragmatic breathing pattern to calm the nervous system, focus your mind, and center your emotions.

Practicing diaphragmatic breathing before going to work will make you feel calmer and less stressed. If you do this every morning, you may find that you have fewer panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and / or depression. With consistent practice, you can make diaphragmatic breathing your standard pattern.

How long should a morning breathing exercise be?

If you are new to pranayama, it is recommended that you start with 2-5 minutes of abdominal breathing. After doing yoga and breath work for some time and feeling comfortable with the exercises, try increasing your exercise to 10 or 15 minutes. You can increase the length of your session at any time as needed. You can get by on shorter periods if you feel enough of the benefits to get through the day with peace and quiet.

7 morning breathing exercises

There are several deep breathing techniques to choose from that you can use to correct your breathing and improve your morning routine. Each technique has a different energetic and physical effect, so experiment and find the one that works best for your needs.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is the basic breathing exercise that beginners can learn and practice. Also known as abdominal breathing because as you breathe in slowly, deeply, the abdomen rises and falls while the chest remains still. This meditative abdominal breathing exercise relieves stress, promotes relaxation, and increases lung capacity and efficiency.

2. Three-part breath

Perfect for beginners, the three-part breathing method is traditionally known as Dirga Pranayama and builds on the diaphragmatic breath. It is considered to be one of the most calming breathing techniques as it allows you to clear your mind by paying all your attention to how your breath moves through your stomach and chest. Many people believe that by practicing this breathing technique regularly, it is possible to reduce chronic stress and prevent panic attacks.

3. Box or square breath

A more advanced counting ratio method that combines diaphragmatic breathing and breath holding is Sama Vritti Pranayama. It's known as square, equal, or box breathing because it uses a 4-4-4-4 ratio. This pranayama practice equates, harmonizes and balances the prana that flows through the nadis or energy channels of the body. This four-part breathing technique is primarily practiced to calm and balance the mind and body in order to reduce psychological stress and worry. Sama Vritti can also help slow your heart rate, increase oxygen supply to the brain, and reduce anxiety.

4. Alternative nostril breathing

Nadi Sodhana Pranayama, or alternative nostril breathing, uses your fingers to close one nostril and exhale the other. Alternating nasal breathing is calming and balancing, and calms the mind, body and emotions. This practice is particularly useful for calming excessive worry and reducing stress and anxiety.

5. Ocean sounding breath

In Ujayi Pranayama you constrict your throat to create the sound of the ocean or to create a "Darth Vader" voice. This naturally slows the breath, which calms the nervous system. It is also warming and energizing for the body. The exercise is done slowly and deeply, without effort. Ujjayi breathing helps to reduce feelings of irritation and frustration and strengthens the feeling of presence and self-confidence.

6. Shining breath of the skull

Khapalabati Pranayama is considered an advanced technique performed by exhaling quickly through the nose. It's a highly energizing technique, so it's a great addition to your morning routine. It is traditionally practiced to purify and purify the brain and spirit, and to increase lung strength. It is also known as fire breath because it warms the body. With this technique, focus on the feeling of lightness that is created in the head and upper chest area.

7. Singing the breath

Singing your breath is a simple but effective way to calm yourself down when you are stressed. In Udgeeth Pranayama you simply chant the “Om” mantra with slow belly breaths. This pranayama helps to strengthen mental focus and concentration and also helps to reduce negative thoughts and emotions.

Morning breathing tips

• Make sure you sit in a comfortable position while practicing.
• If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and sit down quietly until you feel better.
• Do not force anything; take things at your own pace and ability.
• Try to keep your eyes closed during pranayama.
• Just focus on your breath going in and out of your lungs.
• Get enough sleep. Even the most energizing pranayama cannot compensate for sleep deprivation.
• If you are new to pranayama, start small. Start with 2-5 minutes and then slowly and gradually work your way up to 10-15 minutes per session.
• For best results, combine your pranayama practice with a morning yoga session.
• Be patient. You should see some results after a few days, but it may take weeks, months, or even years to see progress. The most important thing is to practice daily.
• If you are new to pranayama and have any illness, please consult your doctor before starting.

How to choose the right breathing technique for you

There are so many different breathing techniques out there that it can be hard to know which are the best. In pranayama, there isn't one right technique that works for everyone. Different breathing techniques have different benefits and can help you accomplish different things. First, take some time to be clear about the benefits you expect from your practice. Next, start with the breathing technique that best fits your goals and feels most natural to you. Notice how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally with each exercise. Use a journal or other resource to keep track of which techniques are having the greatest impact on your energy and mood. Experiment and make adjustments if necessary.