Practitioner of yoga advocates breathwork as an approach to alleviate anxiety and bolster abdominal muscles. My personal experience follows.
Taking a break from ignoring my breath, I decided to give Adrienne Mishler's balloon breathing a shot. Known for her YouTube channel, Yoga with Adrienne, Mishler promotes the technique as a simple, anytime practice to help you chill out and feel a bit more at ease.
This breathwork method involves filling your belly like a balloon as you inhale deeply, then deflating it as you exhale. It sounds easy, but it's surprisingly effective.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
- Find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down, somewhere quiet and distraction-free. Close your eyes or gaze at a single point.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, visualizing your belly as a balloon inflating. Your diaphragm should descend, and your abdomen should rise as you fill your lungs with air.
- Hold the breath for a moment, experiencing the fullness in your chest and abdomen.
- Let it out slowly through your mouth, imagining the air leaving your balloon as your abdomen falls and your diaphragm rises.
- Repeat this cycle a few times, focusing on the sensation of your balloon expanding and deflating with each breath.
- As you breathe, let go of any tension in your body and focus on the movement of your breath in and out.
Give it a try if you're swamped with to-do lists and tight schedules like me. Balloon breathing helped me unwind instantly, and I tuned out the noise of my overactive mind. By the end of the session, I felt more relaxed but still alert.
Deep breathing triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, signaling that we're in a safe place and that it's time to disengage the "fight or flight" response. If stress or anxiety gets the better of you, consider taking a 10-minute balloon breath break for improved mental health.
Balloon breathing also has physical benefits. I found that focusing on my core muscles while breathing gave me a stronger mind-muscle connection. It helped me stay aware of my abdominal muscles, even when I wasn't working them directly, like during sit-ups.
The positive effects of balloon breathing didn't stop after the 10-minute session. I noticed an improvement in my focus and concentration for hours afterward. I usually take around 20 minutes to finish my client notes, but after my breathing break, I managed to finish them in 15 minutes—a nice time savings that's helped me stick with the practice in my daily routine.
- For a more holistic approach to wellness, consider incorporating personal training, yoga, and balloon breathing into your lifestyle.
- Yoga with Adrienne, a renowned personal trainer and wellness advocate, promotes balloon breathing as a simple exercise for mental health and fitness-and-exercise.
- Not only does balloon breathing help manage stress and anxiety, but it also strengthens mental-health, home-and-garden by improving focus and concentration.
- To experience the benefits of balloon breathing in your health-and-wellness routine, try adding it to your regular personal training sessions or as a standalone practice.
- Balloon breathing, combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, can contribute to overall wellness and provide a sense of calm and ease.
