When I was attending a scientific conference in Denver, Colorado on biofeedback I learnt from one of the presentations -- if you showdown your breathing process deliberately from 15 to four to six times in a minute the entire physiology slows down. Your blood pressure comes down your heart rate comes down and all the metabolic process balances itself. And your bodies switches is over to relaxation mode. Provided the breathing should be deep and slow with that involves the movement of the diaphragm.
In mindful breathing your mind regulates your breathing. Here you put your mind into the entire body while you're breathing. The air you breathe in is going to each and every part of your body. You can feel the air you are breathing going to each and every part of your body. You're fully aware of of the way you breathe and also conscious of your diaphragm and movements.
There are the steps:
- Mindful breathing can be done sitting or lying down.
- Keep your bodies straight with your spine erect. And breathe normally a few times.
- While breathing in take a slow deep breath and imagine your body is like a hollow balloon and getting filled up with the air you breathe in. You can start from your feet going up words to the legs, thighs, abdomen, chest, upper limbs, neck and finally the head. You are gradually filling up the air from the coast to the head and stretching your imagination and awareness to each and every part of your body.
- While you are the exhaling imagine you are emptying out the air from your head down to the toes slowly and gradually.
The process of breathing should go with effortless ease. You should not strain your body while making your breath longer.
Duration:
You can start with 10 cycles in the beginning and go on increasing depending upon the relaxation you want or how comfortable you are with the process.
Feeling of relaxation while exhaling:
When you are doing mindful breathing you imagine your bodies like a balloon and it is inflating when you are in hailing and deflating when you exhale. While exhaling you can imagine your body is deflating and can actually experience every muscle of your body relaxing. When you complete the exhalation, suspend your breathing for a while and in this gap put your awareness all over the body how relaxed you feel. When you breathing is suspended you will feel maximum relaxation in this gap. Therefore it is important to experience the gap at the end of exhalation and before you start the next inhalation.