Relaxation Through Breathwork
Harnessing Relaxation Through Breathwork: How Diaphragmatic Breathing, Box Breathing, and Alternate-Nostril Breathing Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System
In today's fast-moving world, stress is ever-present, but simple breathwork techniques can be an effective way to manage it. By using diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and alternate-nostril breathing, we can directly activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS); the body’s natural mechanism for relaxation. Let’s explore how these techniques promote relaxation and counter the effects of stress. (Check out our other blog how stress can cause disease)
Understanding the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The parasympathetic nervous system is part of the body’s autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as breathing and heart rate. While the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, the PNS triggers the opposite—"rest and digest"—which helps to calm the body and lower stress levels
Breathwork activates this system, helping to slow the heart rate, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and encourage a state of calm.
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: A Natural Stress Reliever
Also called belly breathing, diaphragmatic breathing focuses on deep, slow breaths that fully engage the diaphragm. This type of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, a critical part of the PNS that helps reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and slow the heart rate
To practice:
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Breathe in deeply through your nose, letting your belly rise as you inhale.
Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing your belly to fall.
This process helps promote relaxation, improve oxygen flow, and reduce tension
2. Box Breathing: A Structured Way to Soothe the Mind
Box breathing is a technique used to calm anxiety and stress, often by those in high-stakes professions like athletes and Navy SEALs. It involves a consistent rhythm of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again for an equal count—typically four seconds.
By focusing on maintaining this rhythm, the body engages the parasympathetic system, helping to regulate stress responses, improve mental clarity, and reduce blood pressure
To try it:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
Hold your breath for 4 counts.
Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
Hold again for 4 counts.
Repeat several cycles.
The repetition of this pattern creates a calming effect, making it a powerful tool in stressful situations
3. Alternate-Nostril Breathing: Finding Balance and Calm
Alternate-nostril breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana, is a yoga breathing technique designed to balance the body’s energy and synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain. By breathing through one nostril at a time, this practice helps activate the PNS, reducing stress and promoting mental clarity
How to practice:
Sit in a comfortable position.
Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril, then close and exhale through the left.
Continue alternating for several cycles.
This technique can be particularly helpful in moments of high anxiety, restoring balance and a sense of calm
Try this short beathwork practice to help regulate your PNS
How Breathwork Combats Stress
Each of these breathwork techniques activates the parasympathetic nervous system, effectively helping the body move out of a stress response. Whether it’s through the slow, deep breaths of diaphragmatic breathing, the focused rhythm of box breathing, or the balanced alternation of alternate-nostril breathing, the benefits are clear: reduced heart rate, lower cortisol levels, and an overall sense of relaxation.
Conclusion
Incorporating breathwork into your daily routine is a simple yet powerful way to manage stress and anxiety. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and alternate-nostril breathing provide immediate relief and long-term benefits by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system. These methods are accessible, effective, and can be done anywhere, offering a natural path to relaxation.
By practicing these techniques regularly, you can create a habit of calm and balance in your life.
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