Breathing to calm the mind
Today I am going to teach you a breathing technique that will help you to calm your mind, work on your concentration and give back to your body a natural flow of oxygen that enters your body.
Alternate breathing or Anuloma✨ Pranayama
But since it's all a matter of practice, and it takes 21 days for something to become a habit... I'll get down to business and tell you what it is!
Alternate breathing consists of inhaling through one nostril and exhaling through the other.
- Make yourself comfortable sitting on a cushion or chair with your back straight.
- With the thumb and little finger we will alternate closing the right nostril (thumb) and the left nostril (little finger).
The cycle consists of the following:
First cover your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril, then cover your left nostril with your little finger and hold the air in your lungs.
Uncover your right nostril and exhale the air slowly, then cover the right nostril again, holding with empty lungs.
I advise you to do at least 5 and close your eyes so that you can stay focused on your breathing and how it gradually lengthens. You can count each inhale, hold, exhale and hold again, keeping the same time for each one.
You will see that little by little your breaths gain in quality and duration and become longer and deeper. Concentrate also on that inner sound that your breathing generates and you will see how calmness will come.
