When was the last time you took time to actually breathe? Probably not as frequently as you thought. Did you know that deep breathing is one of our easiest, most convenient, and natural tools to combat issues like stress, anxiety, pain, and high blood pressure.

Try these belly breathing techniques the next time you need to decompress or relieve some stress!

-Belly Breathing 101-

1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
4. Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
5. Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.

Deep breathing is an unnatural function for the body, so like all new skills, it takes practice. Once you have mastered belly breathing you can move on to more advanced techniques like 4-7-8, roll breathing, and morning breathing.