Statue and Bird by Melina Meza

Q: I’ve been having bouts of anxiety
lately, especially first thing in the morning after I wake up. Is there
a short, simple practice that I can do before I get out of bed that
will calm me down so I can start my day in a better emotional state?

A:
There definitely are some simple breath practices that you can use in
the morning before you get up as well as any time during your day that
you may find very helpful! In his post How Your Breath Affects Your Nervous System,
Baxter gives the scientific background about why breath practices are
so effective. And I myself regularly use a simple breath practice to
help me relax when I’m feeling stressed and to help me fall back to
sleep if I awake in the night.

I
discussed your question with Baxter, and together we came up with a
list of three practices that you can choose from. In general, all three
are different ways of lengthening your exhalation. Because your heart
rate is naturally slower on your exhalation than on your inhalation,
making your exhalation longer than your inhalation begins to slow
down your overall heart rate, sending a message to your brain that
everything is more peaceful and calm than it was five minutes ago. This
message encourages your brain to support this shift by activating the
Rest and Digest or Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga), which will reduce your stress hormones, quiet your mind, and hopefully quell your anxiety. 

Try
all three techniques and see which ones work best for you. When you are
initially learning the practices, it is best to do them for shorter
periods. But I recommend over time working your way up to ten-minute
sessions because it seems to take about 7 or 8 minutes for the
Relaxation Response to take full effect. However, in a pinch, even a
minute or two of a simple breath practice can help head off an anxiety
attack, so even a short session can be very beneficial.

Exhalation Pausing.
The simplest breath practice you can do is to pause briefly at the end
of each exhalation. You can do this practice in a seated position or
even lying in bed, on your back with your head supported by a pillow. Start
by practicing basic breath awareness. This means focusing your mind on
how your breath moves in your body, perhaps on how your belly rises and
falls with your breath or, if it’s easier, how your chest moves with
your breath. You could also focus on the more subtle sensations, such as
the feeling of your breath moving in and out or your nostrils or, if
you prefer, the sound your breath makes in your body. I actually like to
lie on my back with my hands on my belly because that makes it very
easy for me to feel the movement in my abdomen.

Now
you’re ready to try pausing at the end of your exhalation. When you
reach the end of your next exhalation, simply add a beat or two—without
straining—before moving on to your inhalation. Keep it relaxed and easy.
And if the practice irritates you in any way, simply return to your
natural breath.

If
at any point you realize your attention has wandered from your breath
(it will, of course), simply—and without self-judgment—bring your
attention back to your breath.

Bhramari (Buzzing Bee) Breath. This breath practice, in which you make a buzzing sound as you exhale, naturally lengthens your exhalation. To
practice a simple version of Bhramari, start by inhaling normally
through your nose. Then, keeping your mouth closed, make a low- to
medium-pitched humming sound in your throat as you exhale. As you make
the buzzing sound—which should last the entire length of the
exhalation—tune into the literal vibration of the sound waves in your
throat and even in your skull and brain. After you complete your
exhalation, inhale through your nose, and if you’re comfortable, repeat
the cycle. Try to make your transitions into and out of each humming
exhalation as smooth as possible. See Pranayama for Everyone: Bhramari Breath for more information.

1:2 Breath. In
this breath practice, you actually control the length of your
inhalations and exhalations, and aim for a ratio of 1:2, for example, a
one-second inhalation and a two-second exhalation or a two-second
inhalation and a four-second exhalation. 

Before
starting this practice, spend a little time observing your natural
breath and mentally counting the length of your typical inhalations and
exhalations. If your inhalation is longer than your exhalation, start by
making them the same length by consciously slowing your exhalation. 

Once
your inhalation and exhalation are equal, try gently increasing the
length of your exhalation by releasing air more slowly. Keep your
breathing relaxed so you are not straining, and if at any time you begin
to feel agitated, simply return to your natural breath. As long as your
breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to gradually increase your
exhalation bit by bit until it is twice as long (but no more than twice
as long) as your inhalation. If the 1:2 ratio feels uncomfortable or if
you’re gasping on your next inhalation, return to a ratio that is more
comfortable. You can gradually work up to the 1:2 ratio with practice. 

Another
way to lengthen your exhalation to a 1:2 ratio is to use a gentle
version of Ujjayi breathing for your exhalation only. To do this, breath
in normally through your nose, with a relaxed feeling in your throat
and vocal cords. Then, as you start to exhale, slightly constrict your
throat, keeping it very gentle and relatively quiet. This action in your
throat is similar to the one who use on your sunglasses when you try to
clean them off, and it will naturally slow down your exhalation a bit
and bring you closer to the 1:2 ration. As you practice this form of
breathing, relax your throat as you inhale, engage your throat a little
as you exhale. 

Baxter
recommends doing a set number of repetitions of the 1:2 breathe, such as
six rounds or twelve rounds. Then let your breath return to its natural
length and depth, and notice how things feel internally. 

If
controlling your breath in this manner is stressful, practice the
exhalation pausing practice described above instead, and maybe give the
1:2 practice another try after you have some experience with breath work under your belt.

Because chronic stress can exacerbate or even cause anxiety (see Chronic Stress: An Introduction), I think it is also important that you address your overall stress levels in general (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga).
So see if you can manage to incorporate some time for gentle or
restorative yoga or any form of conscious relaxation into your schedule.

—Nina 



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