A Simple Yoga Breathing Exercise

Regular practice of yoga can help you to approach life in a less stressed manner, and in doing so, you will get more out of life. You may find you are able to achieve more each day and still feel more energized at the end of the day.

One of the most important things that you will learn from yoga is the correct manner of breathing. Most of us breathe too shallowly, and this can lead to stress and tension. It is only with correct breathing that you will teach your mind and your body to gravitate towards a more natural state of relaxation.

You will be able to bring about a peaceful and relaxed state more easily and that in turn will help you to cope with stressful situations.

The deep breathing techniques that are taught in yoga can lower stress and bring more calm in your life, while at the same time energizing you. Many people feel that they need some form of stimulation to get energized, but yoga will show them that this can be far from the truth. Yoga gives you long-lasting energy that is not influenced by hyper activity or nervousness.

You can practice the basic yoga breathing techniques wherever you like - even while sitting at your office desk.

Just follow this simple technique to quickly lower your stress levels and feel calmer and more relaxed:

1. Sit up straight in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on top of your thighs and begin to relax, slowly closing your eyes.

2. Now begin to think about the various parts of your body, starting with your feet and working your way up. Relax each part one at a time as you feel your muscles become soft and relaxed, releasing all the tension that is being held there.

3. Feel your lungs filling with breath, expanding and contracting in a relaxed manner. Allow your breath to go deep into your belly, expanding your diaphram naturally. Don't 'push' your breathing. Just maintain a relaxed breath in and out. With each outwards breath expel the tension that is being held in your body. Set it free and breathe in the next breath of relaxed energy.

This will come more naturally the more often you do it, and you will find that you can get into a relaxed state faster each time. It used to take me several minutes to relax when I started a yoga session, but now I can relax within seconds of starting the yoga breath technique. The energy that you get from this exercise will carry over further into each day of your life, until you find it easier to be relaxed in nearly all situations.

Try it now and see how you feel, and then make this a regular practice in your daily life to reap the benefits of yoga just by breathing!