DAY 4
WARM-UP: DIRECTING YOUR BREATH
1.
Sit or lie on your back in a relaxed position. Breathe through the nose. Take three deep breaths. Then allow your breathing to become steady and find its calm, natural rhythm.
2.
Breathe into different parts of the body, two breaths at a time. Start by breathing into the diaphragm. The abdomen rises while breathing in.
3.
Direct the breath into the chest. The chest rises while breathing in.
4.
Then, direct the breath into the sides. Feel your sides expand outward while breathing in.
5.
Send your breath to your upper back area. Feel your back rise while breathing in.
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Everyone can learn to hold their breath. At the same time, you will understand how your mind works and improve your mental control skills.
WARM-UP: DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
1.
Sit or lie on your back in a relaxed position.
2.
Using only your diaphragm, breathe in through your nose, filling your lungs gently with air. During inhalation, the abdomen bulges outward pronouncedly. The rib cage does not expand.
3.
Relax your diaphragm and let the air slowly flow out through your nose or mouth. Don’t try to forcibly blow air out.
4.
Hold your breath for a few seconds.
Do the exercise at your own pace. You don’t need to follow the video's timing.
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The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration. By exercising your diaphragm, you will improve the overall wellbeing of your body.
BREATH-HOLD EXERCISE
1.
Lie on your back. You can keep your legs bent to help keep your abdominal area more relaxed.
2.
Close your eyes and breathe calmly with your diaphragm for 30 seconds. When you hear the signal, fill your lungs.
3.Follow the breath-hold and breathing intervals according to the video instructions.
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The longest breath-hold in this exercise is 45 seconds. You can always start breathing earlier and extend your breathing time if needed.
4.
On the final round, wait until the breath-hold clearly feels like you want to breathe. Observe where in your chest you first notice the sensation of breath-holding. Touch this area with your hand and then start breathing.
On the final round, you can check how long you held your breath. Write down your result.
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Hold your breath only as long as it feels comfortable.
