Our body and its every system rely on oxygen. Oxygen is needed to obtain energy and to fuel all our living processes; it’s needed for living. Breathing can not just provide you with a greater sense of mental clarity, but also can help you digest food better, improve your sleep quality, your immune response and reduce stress.

Here are some samples of relaxing breathing:

THE 4-7-8 (RELAXING BREATH) EXERCISE

1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed.
2. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four (4).
4. Hold your breath for a count of seven (7).
5. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight (8).
6. This is ONE breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Do it at least twice a day, but do not do more than four
breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little
lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.

NADI SHODHAN PRANAYAMA (ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING)
(nadi = subtle energy channel; shodhan = cleaning, purification; pranayama = breathing technique)

Alternate nostril breathing is a beautiful breathing technique that helps keep the mind calm, happy and peaceful by just
practicing it for a few minutes. It also helps release accumulated tension and fatigue.
Sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Keep a gentle smile on your face.
Place your left hand on the left knee, palms open to the sky or thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips.
Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. We will use the ring finger and little finger to open or close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril.
Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left nostril. Now breathe in from the left nostril and then press the left nostril gently with the ring finger and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, breathe out from the right. Breathe in from
the right nostril and exhale from the left. You have now completed one round of Nadi Shodhan pranayama. Continue inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.
Complete 9 such rounds by alternately breathing through both the nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril
from which you exhaled. Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort.