If someone has trouble staying focused or calming themselves in a stressful situation, the last thing they think about is breath. However, breath is a powerful tool that helps us calm our heartrate, regulate our blood flow, relax our body, and calm our mind. Breathwork has been used for centuries throughout various cultures to aid in meditation, strenuous exercise, stress management, and mood regulation. 

Try these breathwork techniques to calm your body and mind…

 Pursed Lip Breathing: purse your lips pursed together as your breathe in and out.

Belly Breath: expand your stomach with your breathe in, and hollow your stomach with your out breath.

Equal Breath: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4.

Resonant Breath: inhale for 5, exhale for 5.

Deep Breath: keep your chest and shoulders back, feel your chest expand until it can’t anymore, then exhale completely.

Humming Breath: hum with your breath as you breathe in and out, focusing on the noise.

Alternate Nostril Breath: hold the right nostril closed as you breathe in, breathe out through the left nostril, then breathe in through the left nostril and out through the right nostril. Repeat.

Lion Breathing: inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth with your tongue out and jaw towards your chest.

Ocean Breath: keep your tongue towards the roof of your mouth and inhale deeply through the nose, you should hear your breath like an ocean wave. Exhale through your mouth. 

For specific examples, visit https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise