How to Meditate: Easy Breathing Exercises and Techniques

During this uncertain time, it makes sense that more people are searching for ways to begin meditating in order to help maintain their mental health. There is A LOT of information out there regarding starting your own meditation practice. If I were to recommend two easy places to start with, it would be with this: Easy Breathing Exercises and Short Guided Meditations.

Let’s talk about easy breathing exercises.

We can experience a meditative state by bringing our awareness to our breath. By just placing our attention on our breath, we can practice mindful breathing. Connecting to our breath is the first place we can start when building a meditation practice. Breathing exercises and techniques can also help those who are new to meditation and those who have an established meditation practice.

Easy Breathing Exercises 

Exercise 1: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. 

This breathing technique helps you activate the vagus nerve, which in turns helps us engage the parasympathetic system (aka rest and digest). Basically, we are using our breathing to send a signal to our brain that we are safe and therefore can relax. 

Exercise 2: Stick out your tongue like a yawning lion, and breathe out making whatever noises come (aka Lion’s breath) 

Notice how it becomes easier to breathe in afterwards. That’s because of how air pressure works. When we do the lion’s breath, we push out the air that is in our lungs and then our lungs expand once again creating a lower air pressure inside the lungs compared to the air pressure outside of our body. Air always flows from high to low pressure. Thus, it travels naturally from outside our body and into our lungs after a lion's breath.  

Exercise 3: Patterned Breathing 

Each person has a preferred pace and depth of breathing when they are relaxed. Try to identify your own preferred patterned breath by slowing down and then speeding up your breath to different rates and depths. Some people prefer breathing deeply, filling their bellies, while others prefer light breathing that they feel in their chest. The goal is to find a breathing pattern that has a calming and relaxing effect on you. Your breathing should feel comfortable and not cause you to feel short of breath or light-headed. Practice your pattern breathing. You can even create a rhythm and count to remember what your preferred pattern is and then use it whenever you feel the need to relax or get through a tough moment. 

Sending warm sunshine your way, 

Anna 

Anna is a blog contributor, meditation leader and teacher, and photographer. You can follow her on Instagram @skillsforwellness and find her blogging away at reset brain + body. reset brain + body is a mental wellness practice where traditional talk therapy is elevated through the integration of meditation, yoga and mindfulness. Connect with reset brain + body on Instagram & Facebook, check out the class schedule, or contact us to book an appointment.