Exam season can feel like you’re the main character in War of the Worlds. We all know that it’s very stressful and it’s definitely not the most pleasant thing you could be doing right before the holidays.That said, we tend to forget that the simplest things in life can help us relax. This might sound a little repetitive for people who have faced some type of mental illness, but it really can be as simple as breathing to help calm us down in even the littlest of ways. Some of these breathing techniques might look a little bit silly, but in all honesty, it’s okay to look silly sometimes.
- Sitali Breath
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It’s not for everyone because it does involve being able to curl your tongue, however, the cooling sensation it provides is supposed to give you a slight shock. The sensation helps ground you along with your bodily temperature change. You have to start off by not minding that you might look a little silly. The next step is to stick out your tongue and roll it up. You can breathe in and out through your nose if you want to as well, but in that case, you will feel a little bit less of a cooling sensation. As a matter of fact, you typically breathe in through your mouth to feel the rush of cold air enter it and exhale that same air through your nose. This type of breathing will help cool the body, reduce fatigue and muscle tension, promote a balanced mood as well as cleanse and re-energize you.
- Nadi Shodhana Breath
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It is more commonly known as an alternate nostril breathing technique mostly used for balancing the mind, body and spirit. It helps reduce anxiety and stress and promotes alertness, clarity, cleansing and grounding. You start off by placing your index finger and your middle finger between your eyebrows. This makes you feel balanced when alternating between nostrils. Pinch one nostril with your pinky and breathe out through the open nostril. This type of breathing is fairly easy for everyone to try.
- Dirga Breath
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This type of breathing is a little bit more complex than the other ones. Begin by placing one palm on your lower belly below the belly button. Place the other palm over your heart at the top left of the rib cage. Inhale and exhale deeply through the nose —with more intensity than you would naturally breathe. When you inhale, draw the breath all the way to the lower belly. Feel the belly rise upwards as if there was a balloon inside. Release the exhale slowly and, with control, force the air out from the belly through the nose. Draw your belly button towards your spine to release any stale air. Repeat for five consecutive breaths. On the next inhale, fill the belly up with air as described above. When the belly is full, draw a little more breath in by expanding your rib cage out to the sides. Feel the ribs widen and imagine the space between each rib expanding.
On the exhale, release the air first from the rib cage by letting the ribs slowly draw towards each other. Then expel the air from the belly by drawing the belly button towards the spine. Repeat the belly and rib cage breathing for five breaths. On the next inhale, fill the belly and rib cage with air as described above. Then inhale in a tiny bit more air by drawing it into the upper chest. Feel the upper chest rise, the collarbones expand and the throat widening. Imagine the heart reaching upwards. On the exhale, first let the throat, collarbones and upper chest lower back down by releasing the breath there first. Then, release the air from the rib cage by drawing the ribs towards one another. Lastly, let all the accumulated oxygen exit the belly by drawing the belly button towards the spine.
Continue the three-part breathing at your own slow and controlled rhythm. You must feel the breath enter and leave the body without any restriction or tension. The breath will begin to feel smooth. You then continue the three-part breath for 10–15 more breaths.
- Ujjayi Breath (Victorious/Ocean Breath)
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Like Dirga breath, Ujjayi breath is more complex than the first two breaths. This type of breathing helps with slowing/smoothing the flow of breath, promotes the quieting of the mind, enhances concentration and focus, regulates the temperature of the body and reduces anxiety and tension. You start off by finding a comfortable sitting position. Take two to three grounding breaths. Place your preferred hand, palm facing towards you, just in front of your mouth. With your mouth open, exhale to the count of four into your palm by imagining that you are steaming up a mirror.
Feel the breath hit the palm and the warmth of the breath. You should be able to hear the breath leaving the mouth. It will sound like a wave coming in from the ocean. If you do not hear the breath, constrict the muscles of the throat until you hear the breath. The breath should be audible. Keep the hand in place, with your mouth open, take an inhale to the count of four making the same sound as the exhale by constricting the muscles of the throat. Practice matching the sound of your inhale and exhale with your palm in front of your face for 5–10 breaths. When you feel ready to move on from here, place both hands on the thighs with palms facing up. On your next inhale, keep the mouth open. On your next exhale, close the mouth and see if you can maintain the sound and sensation in the throat. Practice this for 5–10 breaths.
While breathing techniques can be recommended by a healthcare professional, there are small things that should be known while doing them. The techniques work best in a chair or on the ground with crossed legs. If using a chair, press your feet flat into the ground. Just remember that these breathing techniques are helpful, but not for everyone. Just because they’re recommended doesn’t always mean that they’re mean for you. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s completely okay. Just remember, if you’re not enjoying yourself, it’s not for you, and there are other things you can do that makes you feel better. But even with all this information, all we can really say is good luck on your exams and like the Jonas Brothers have wisely said, “Don’t forget to take a breath.”