Easy Summer Breathing Exercises
Early morning at the beach: walk, run, stretch and intentional breathing.
We think of summer as a time to reset our button and relax our nervous system from the stresses of everyday life. Why wait for summer or vacations to unwind when we can all take a few minutes daily to achieve a zen state.
I’m sharing breathing exercises that have been practiced for thousands of years and that can help you beat the heat and boost your energy levels all summer long and throughout the year. These are my go to breathing exercises.
Benifits of Intentional Breathing
Pranayama (sanskrit for life force that we experience from yoga breathing). Intentional breathing is key part of a yoga practice. These breathing techniques help reduce stress, increase oxygen levels, and energize the body. All these poses also help balance the nervous system, achieve a state of balance, and counterbalances the summer heat.
Simple practices
A few minutes a day is enough to make a positive difference in the way you feel. You can start to practice with a few times a week and gradually building yourself up to a daily breathing practice. It’s a healthy habit and discipline to incorporate in your life. I love how energized and opened I feel after my breath-work practice. Early morning is my favorite time to sit on my mat (or chair) in quiet and begin my breathing exercises.
Sheetali pranayama, or cooling breath
Nadi shodhan pranayama, or alternate nostril breathing
Bramari pranayama or humming bee breath
Shavasana or corpse pose - normal breathing to calm and relax
Cooling Breathing
Sheetali pranayama is a breathing technique known for cooling the body. This breathing technique involves rolling the sides of your tongue inward and extending it out of your mouth, and then inhaling through your mouth and exhaling through your nose. If you find this challenging, you can also follow Sheetakari pranayama (without rolling the tongue) and bring your upper and lower teeth together with lips opened and inhale through your teeth and exhale through your nose.
Sheethali pranayama helps one handle hot summers, generates a feeling of coolness in the body, and keeps one’s energy levels high.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Nadi Shodhan pranayama harmonizes the energy flow of the body and promotes a tranquil state of mind. Alternative nostril breathing helps balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (this system relaxes the body after stress).
According to experts, this breathing technique offers a variety of benefits. Regular practice can enhance mental clarity and promote a more alert mind. Additionally, it can improve concentration and reduce stress levels.
Humming Bee Breath
Bhramari pranayama is a soothing breathing technique that involves sitting comfortably with the eyes closed and making a humming sound while inhaling and exhaling through the nose. This sound creates a vibration that can help release tension and promote mental relaxation. This pranayama can improve heart health, sleep quality, immune function, and happy cells.
During the practice, a gentle sound, like the buzzing of a bee, is produced at the back of the throat. This sound and breathing exercise can quickly quiet the mind and promote relaxation and calmness.
Corpse Pose
This relaxing position is practiced at the end of the yoga and breathing session. It might look easy, but the challenge with this pose is being in the relaxed state for a longer duration - 2-3-5-10 minutes.
Another challenge is to be conscious and alert while relaxing your body physically. This helps to release tension and enter a relaxed state of mind. In summer, stay in the corpse pose a bit longer to give the mind and body time to unwind, settle, and fully cool down.
Cheers to healthy breathing habits,
Love Genia