The top tips I share below stem from yoga and are great ways to be more mindful, reducing both mental and physical stress. I hope you find ways to implement these simple and effective practises into your daily or weekly routine
- The 3, 4, 5 breath
A super simple exercise that is perfect to do as soon as you wake up, and before you go to sleep. Practise either sitting in a meditative posture or lying down on your back. Start by breathing in for the count of 3, holding for the count of 4, and exhaling through your mouth for the count of 5. Aim to do with your eyes closed, and your gaze focused on the point between your two eyebrows. Relax your whole face so you’re not scrunching up your eyes and let your body just settle into the breath. After a few rounds you will start to get into the flow of it.
What is the science behind it?
- Reduces anxiety and anger
- Relaxes the nervous system
- Eases a busy mind
- Helps you get to sleep
- Bhramari Pranayama (black buzzing bee breathing exercise)
Avoid practising this if you have high blood pressure, epilepsy, chest pain, or an ear infection. Begin by sitting in a meditative posture, either cross legged or kneeling. Close your eyes and bring your awareness to the point between your eyebrows. Breathe in through the nose, and exhale as a hum for as long as you feel comfortable. While humming, really feel the vibration running through your mind and body. Once finished, start again by taking a deep breath in, and exhaling as a hum. Try 11 hums and see how you feel afterwards.
What is the science behind it?
- Reduces mental tension
- Improves the acoustic and aerodynamic parameters of your voice
- Lowers blood pressure
- The vibrations of the hum stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland
- Diaphragmatic breathing
It’s easy to hold your breath during the day without realising. Holding your breath creates tension and leaves your body fighting for more oxygen. Regularly practising deep diaphragmatic breathing, by filling up your whole belly as you breathe in, as if you are blowing up a balloon, will help your body function at its most optimal. This can be done when you’re in a meeting, to when you’re in the car, or even in the shower by deeply breathing in and out through the nose, focusing on the breath going all the way into your belly and back out.
What is the science behind it?
- Allows your whole cardiovascular system to operate better
- Provides more oxygen to your whole body
- Lowers your heart rate
- Eases mental and physical tension
- Lowers cortisol levels
I’m Geetanjali, it means ‘a poem/song offering to God’, but everyone calls me Angie. I’m a yoga and meditation teacher based in London. I was raised with many Ayurvedic rituals and practises, and the basics of yoga and its true essence was taught to me by my parents. My yoga classes focus on bringing people’s awareness back to yoga’s roots, respecting the ancient sacred Vedic practise, and ensuring people know yoga is not about flexibility alone. We chant, we breathe, and we move in alignment with ourselves and with each other. If you would like to join in or practise 1 to 1, you can find me here, or on g.tiwari@hotmail.co.uk
