Life these days is like a competition, isn't it? Office work, household chores, exams, children's chores... With all this, we always feel a lot of pressure, that is, stress . Sometimes we feel like we have no peace of mind, and we can't sleep at night. So, at a time like this, today we are talking about a very simple and very powerful way that you can calm yourself down.
What is this 4-7-8 breathing method?
Simply put, it's a breathing pattern developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, based on the ancient yogic practice of breath control, `Pranayama.' He calls it a "natural tranquilizer for the nervous system." That means we can use our breath to calm our mind and body without any medication. It's so simple, anyone can do it, anywhere.
Okay, so let's see how exactly this is done.
When you first start, try to do this at least twice a day. Over time, you can do it as many times as you like. When you first start, don't do it more than four times in a row. As you get used to it, you can increase it to eight times. You may feel a little dizzy at first, but that will go away after a while.
Look at the table below. Follow the steps in it.
| Steps | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Preparation | Sit upright in a chair. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your two upper teeth and hold it there. Now exhale all your breath out, making a "whoosh" sound. |
| 2. Breathing (4 seconds) | Close your mouth and breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four . |
| 3. Breath holding (7 seconds) | Hold the breath you just took in and hold it for a count of seven . |
| 4. Exhale (8 seconds) | Now, slowly exhale all of your breath for a count of eight , making a "whoosh" sound from your mouth again. |
| 5. Repetition | This is one round. Do this three more times. Four rounds in total. |
Do this whenever you feel stressed or anxious. Especially before you react to an upsetting situation, practice this at night when you can't sleep. The more you do it, the more powerful the results will be.
What are the benefits of deep, slow breathing like this?
Mindful breathing techniques like 4-7-8 breathing provide our bodies with many valuable benefits.
Think about it, our body has a natural response called "Fight-or-Flight" to deal with emergencies. While this helps us survive in times of danger, if this response is constantly activated even in the smallest things of everyday life, it can have a negative impact on our health.
This constant stress weakens our immune system and can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety.
So, what this breathing method does is stop that anxiety response and give the body a deep sense of rest and calm (Relaxation Response).
Other benefits of this:
- Reduced anxiety: Studies have found that breathing exercises like this can reduce stress and anxiety in students facing exams.
- Blood pressure control : Breathing slowly and deeply for about 5 minutes daily has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.
- Get a good night's sleep: One of the main side effects of stress is insomnia. It's very difficult to fall asleep when your body is stressed. So, when you practice this 4-7-8 method, your body calms down and helps you fall asleep faster.
- Pain reduction: Some studies have shown that people who practice calm, deep breathing techniques experience reduced pain.
- Increased concentration : A 2017 study revealed that people who underwent deep breathing training for eight weeks had an increased ability to focus and a decrease in negative emotions.
How does this breathing calm our body?
This is very simple to understand. Our body's involuntary functions, such as heartbeat and digestion, are controlled by a part of the body called the Autonomic Nervous System. It has two main parts.
1. Sympathetic Nervous System: This is what controls our body's " Fight-or-Flight" response. This part is activated when we are in danger, when we feel fear, or when we are stressed, and it prepares us for it.
2. Parasympathetic Nervous System: This is the part that controls our body's " Rest and Digest" response. It calms us down, sends us to sleep, and restores the body.
The important thing is that when one of these two systems is activated, the other is deactivated. So, when we do a deep breathing method like 4-7-8, we are intentionally activating our calming system (Parasympathetic nervous system). Then the disturbing system (Sympathetic nervous system) automatically deactivates, and our entire body and mind calm down.
The 4-7-8 method is just one way to achieve these benefits. If this method doesn't work for you, you can try another deep breathing method. The important thing is that you can experience this relaxation response with any method that involves breathing slowly and deeply .
If you have persistent stress, anxiety, or sleep problems, it is important to see your family doctor for advice .
Take-Home Message
- The 4-7-8 breathing method is a very simple and powerful way to reduce stress, anxiety, and calm the mind.
- This doesn't require any equipment or special space. It can be done anytime, anywhere.
- This activates the body's "calming" nervous system (parasympathetic nervous system), helping to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and reduce pain.
- At first, practice only four rounds twice a day. With continued practice, the results will increase.
- If you have a long-term mental health problem, it is essential to seek medical advice.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න