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By Tara Kearns
Belly Breathing helps us to relax our body and mind by breathing slowly and deeply.
This is a great exercise to practise for a few minutes every day.
When you get used to it, you can start to use belly breathing to help you relax whenever you feel anxious or nervous.
At first, you may find it easier to do your belly breathing if you lie down on the floor or your bed. When you’re lying in bed at bedtime is a great time to practise belly breathing.
After practising for a few weeks you’ll be able to do belly breathing while standing up, sitting down, and even while walking around.
How to Do It
Imagine there’s a balloon inside your belly that you are going to fill with air every time you breathe in, and let the air out of every time you breathe out.
Lie down flat on the floor or a bed. Place your hands on your belly so that you can feel your breath coming in and going out.
Breathe in slowly through your nose; concentrate on feeling your belly fill up with air.
Once your belly is full, breathe out slowly through your mouth, as if you are blowing out through a straw. Concentrate on feeling your belly empty as you breathe out.
There’s no need to count or hold your breath - just breathe in and out, focusing on filling and emptying your belly as you breathe in and breathe out.
Keep going for as long as you feel comfortable.