Relaxation Techniques

 Alpha- breathing for Relaxation

    Alpha breathing is combination of imagination and a simplified version of pranayama(yoga of breath). It is technique of deep regular breathing. Deep breathing is important for two reasons. First, the brain needs a lot of oxygen to function at high level intelligence. The brain weight is about 1.5 kilogram, which is about 3% of the total oxygen intake. Deep breathing helps satisfy the oxygen demand of your brain. Second, deep breathing relaxes you.

Breathe from your diaphragm

Before we learn alpha-breathing, let us learn to breathe from diaphragm.

    Common sense says that for deep breathing our chest should move in and out, not our stomach. But it is not true. Diaphragm separates lungs from the stomach. In fact, the diaphragm is the muscle of breathing. As your stomach moves slightly outwards, the diaphragm moves down, and as a result the lungs expand.

    If you watch a child sleeping, you can notice that the stomach moves in and out as the child breathes. That's what you should also do. practice breathing such that your stomach move in as you breathe out and your your stomach moves out as you breathe in.

Alpha-breathing :Here are the steps for alpha-breathing. Use this technique regularly for relaxation.

Repeat the following steps 4 times:

1. Breathe from your diaphragm. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.
2. Hold your breathe for a count of four. While holding, imagine that oxygen is relaxing your brain and your body.
3. Breathe out through your mouth for a of four, while exhaling, imagine any stress and tension in your body or mind or going out with the breathe.
4. Do not pause. Immediately repeat the above steps.