Stressed? You Have to Tried This Breathing Technique

Did that recent email leave you rattled? Perhaps the relaxing appeal of coming home after a long day at the office is long-gone since work-from-home became your reality. 

Sometimes a few deep breaths does the trick, but when you're looking for a breathing exercise that offers a more full-body experience this go-to technique can bring big relief.

Prone Breathing or Crocodile Pose Breathing

This breathing technique is pretty simple. All you need is your body and a yoga mat or any flat surface you feel comfortable lying on.

• Lay belly down and create a diamond shape with your hands.
  
• Place your brow on the top of the diamond so that your nose has space between your hands and the floor - because we don't want to smush your cute nose.
  
• Then, begin to breath deeply in through your nose and out through your nose or your mouth.
  
• Focus on sending your breath  as low into your abdomen as possible and pay attention to your abdomen pressing into the floor while the rest of your torso inflates with air
  
• Continue this breathing practice for 10-20 breaths or longer.

Why It Works
This breathing technique is a form of diaphragmatic breathing, or deep belly breathing. What is unique about prone breathing, or breathing face down, is that it has also been studied and shown improved oxygenation too. Now in medical studies the prone breathing was done for very long periods of time to demonstrate a medically significant effect.

But in shorter durations such as a couple minute pranayama practice there are benefits too. The diaphragm is a muscle and just like any other muscle with work we can can actually train it to be stronger.  With prone breathing, like with other more restrictive breathing like ujjayi, we are introducing  resistance and overtime our muscle gets stronger from meeting the resistance. 

Deep breathing is known to reduce stress levels by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the house-keeping or 'rest and digest' side of the nervous system. When our bodies are able to switch from a state of heightened arousal to a state of rest and digest we begin to feel more calm and relaxed.

Practice this breathing technique anytime you need to relieve some stress and strengthen your deep breathing skills.