About This Tool

Have you ever noticed how you breathe when you feel relaxed?

The next time you are relaxed, take a moment to notice how your body feels.

Breathing exercises can help you to relax, because when you bring your body in a relaxed state, your emotions, thoughts and feelings follow.

Coherent breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. We can see our inhalation as activating and the exhalation as relaxing. In a stressful situation, we have the tendency to inhale more, because our system wants to make sure we have enough energy. And as you might know, there are stressful situations every single day. From being stuck in traffic, having an argument with your co-worker, to telling yourself all the things that are still on your to-do list and so on. And most of these triggers of stress, we’re not even processing consciously, but do affect the way we breathe. So you might not be surprised that nowadays, the status quo of our breathing pattern is irregular.

This exercise will help you to guide yourself into a state of inner balance and harmony, by practicing a more regular and coherent breathing pattern.

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Why It Works

Low P. (2017). Overview of the autonomic nervous system.
merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/autonomic-nervous-system-disorders/overview-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system

Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422/

How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797612470827

https://www.cordem.org/globalassets/files/academic-assembly/2017-aa/handouts/day-three/biofeedback-exercises-for-stress-2---fernances-j.pdf

Chandla, S. S. et al. (2013). Effect of short-term practice of pranayamic breathing exercises on cognition, anxiety, general well being and heart rate variability [Abstract].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24968492

Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response. (2018).
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response

Varvogli, L., & Darviri, C. (2011). Stress management techniques: Evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/75ca/f800c159ce1d28ec0dc45de8f867d3fade90.pdf

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Why It Works

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