‘Just Breathe’, this is one thing that we all keep hearing time and time again. If you are paranoid or anxious about anything people around you will tell you to take a deep breath. If you are angry and are about to lose your temper- people will again ask you to take a deep breath. It is so because breathing correctly and performing breathing exercises daily helps to keep the mind and body healthy and fit. When it comes to breathing, just like normal breathing exercise, even reverse breathing exercise has its own set of benefits.
Reverse breathing is the reverse of the natural in and out of the movement of the stomach that happens during normal breathing.
This breathing technique relaxes you, lessens stress, improves digestion and calms your body. It also enables you to become aware of your emotions and increase your meditative focus. Read below to find out the benefits of this breathing and why you should do it daily.
Here’s how you should perform reverse breathing:
Sit down on the ground and place your legs one above the other. Place both your hands one above the other on your lower abdomen. The tips of the thumbs should touch your navel. Inhale and gently pull your abdomen inwards, toward your spine. Now, while exhaling let your abdomen expand outward naturally. Repeat the process 5-7 times.
Here’s why you should practice reverse breathing.
Reverse breathing strengthens the abdomen muscles, and when you breathe in, your perineum muscles are contracted, and when you exhale, these muscles are relaxed. Similarly, your abdominal muscles are also pulled in and out.
Improves immune system: Reverse breathing helps to spread more oxygen throughout the body, which assists in better functioning of different body parts. Due to this technique, a great amount of oxygen reaches your tissues and cells, which makes the immune system stronger.
This technique also provides more oxygen to your lungs and increases your lung capacity. It pushes your diaphragm to expand entirely, creating a space to be filled with air. Helps to combat stress: Being stressed makes your immune system weak and you fall sick quite easily. Reverse breathing soothes your mind, reduces stress and keeps you healthy.
