Breathing Exercises

Controlled breathing can be very helpful for anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Any time you feel you may have uncontrollable thoughts or emotions, breathing exercises can really help!

Controlled breathing exercises can have many benefits, including: 

• Stress reduction: Controlled breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety by calming the sympathetic nervous system. 

• Pain reduction: Controlled breathing can help reduce the perception of pain. 

• Improved sleep: Controlled breathing can help you fall asleep when used at bedtime. 

• Improved lung health: Controlled breathing can help rid the lungs of stale air and increase oxygen levels. 

• Improved muscle function: Controlled breathing can improve muscle function during exercise and prevent strain. 

• Reduced blood pressure and heart rate: Controlled breathing can lower blood pressure and heart rate. 

• Reduced muscle tension: Controlled breathing can reduce muscle tension, which may help with headaches. 

• Improved immune system: Controlled breathing can improve immune system functioning. 

• Increased physical energy: Controlled breathing can increase physical energy. 

• Increased feelings of calm: Controlled breathing can increase feelings of calm and wellbeing. 

Some of the different types of controlled breathing exercise s include:

• Deep breathing

  Inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale gently through your mouth. You can count to help you breathe regularly. 

• Square breathing

  Inhale, hold your breath, exhale, and hold it again, each for four counts. Repeat for several minutes. 

• Pursed lip breathing

  This exercise helps you slow your breathing and maximize the amount of oxygen that goes in and out of your lungs. 

• Lion's Breath

  This breathwork exercise can be performed on its own or as part of the Lion's Pose in yoga. It can help relieve stress and anxiety, and improve breathing. 

• 4-7-8 breathing

  This exercise is commonly used to reduce stress and anxiety. 

• Box breathing

  This technique can help you control your breaths and reset your nervous system. It can promote relaxation and enhance your focus. 

Research has shown that deep breathing is a highly effective and free intervention for mental health conditions.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9877284/

YouTube is a fantastic resource for free deep breathing guides and here are a few below:

https://youtu.be/lPJAtHWq08k?si=MqLszloO9R688w9r

Meditation - Can you quiet a restless mind?

Here are some tips for meditating when you're anxious: 

• Focus on your breath

  Inhale and exhale slowly through your nose, feeling your breath and listening to it. If your mind wanders, gently return your focus to your breath. 

• Practice body scan meditation

  Focus on each part of your body, starting at the top of your head and working your way down to your toes. Notice any sensations you feel, and release any tension you're holding onto. 

• Try guided visualization

  Imagine yourself in a peaceful, serene, and safe environment, such as a beach, forest, or garden. 

• Practice loving-kindness meditation

  Silently recite positive phrases, such as "May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe". Then, extend the same well-wishes to someone you care about. 

• Be mindful of the present moment

  Notice your sensations, feelings, and thoughts as they occur, but don't become swept up in them or attempt to alter them. 

• Don't worry if it doesn't feel right

  Everyone's experience of meditation is different. The most important thing is to find a brief sense of peace and stillness in a way that works best for you.

Please don’t worry if meditation does not come easily to you. It is something that takes practice. Just WORKING on meditation can have profound benefits on your mental health. In fact, a Randomized Clinical Trial (meaning patients do not pick whether they get medication or meditation) found that using meditation for anxiety was just as effective as using Lexapro for anxiety. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2798510

Meditation is another free intervention for mental health symptoms. I really enjoy the meditations from The Mindful Movement. On YouTube you can subscribe to their channel. They also have an excellent website. They have specific meditations for specific conditions like anxiety, stress and ptsd. These are all the excellent ways that technology can have a positive impact on your life. Instead of endlessly scrolling Facebook, I suggest using your phone to find a meditation practice today. If one does not feel right - there are several others to try.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheMindfulMovement

https://www.themindfulmovement.com/foundations-of-meditation

The BENEFITS OF MEDITATION:

Mental health

Meditation can help reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. It can also help with social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and fears. 

• Physical health

  Meditation can help lower blood pressure and heart rate, which can reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels. It can also help with chronic pain, asthma, cancer, and heart disease. 

• Sleep

  Meditation can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. 

• Brain health

  Meditation can increase gray matter, which is responsible for emotional regulation, planning, and problem-solving. It can also increase cortical thickness, which is responsible for learning and memory. 

• Other benefits

  Meditation can help you develop mental discipline, improve your memory and mental clarity, and increase your attention span. It can also help you be more creative, patient, and self-aware. 

Emotional Freedom Technique

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as "tapping," is a mind-body technique that involves tapping on specific points of the body to help manage emotions and reduce stress and anxiety: 

How it works

Tapping

You tap on specific points on your body, similar to acupuncture points, while focusing on an uncomfortable feeling and reciting positive affirmations

Benefits

EFT can help reduce stress and anxiety, or help you feel calm when you're angry. Licensed therapists also use EFT to help patients navigate trauma, phobias, and other mental health concerns.

Steps

1. Identify a problem area and state it in the negative. 2. Set a benchmark level of intensity on a scale from 0 to 10. 3. Tap on specific points on your body, such as between your nose and upper lip, under your collarbone, and under your armpit. 4. Stop and remeasure how you feel about your issue. 5. Repeat the steps if needed.

EFT was first introduced in the 1990s by Gary Craig, a Stanford graduate and certified master practitioner of neurolinguistic programming

Research on Emotional Freedom Technique has found it improves multiple aspects of health:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6381429/

Use this excellent YouTube Video below!

https://youtu.be/02bN4JFx10Y?si=qI1hLHM0pDdHOGkg

Somatic Yoga

A gentle healing practice. This type of yoga is especially powerful for healing trauma, decreasing anxiety and reducing stress. I highly suggest using the YouTube videos from Dr. Arielle Schwartz. She is both a licensed counselor and yoga teacher. All of her classes are free and safe for most fitness levels. You can perform them on the floor or in a chair. They are a fantastic way to unwind before bed.

https://www.youtube.com/@dr.arielleschwartz913

Somatic yoga is a type of yoga that emphasizes internal awareness, sensation, and mindful movement. The term "somatic" comes from the Greek word soma, which means "living body". 

Somatic yoga differs from other styles of yoga in that it focuses on how movements feel to you, rather than how they look. It's a gentle practice that encourages you to be mindful and deeply sense your body in every moment.

Here are some characteristics of somatic yoga: 

• Slow, gentle movements

  Somatic yoga uses small, slow, and gentle movements to re-educate the brain to relax and move muscles more functionally. 

• Focus on internal sensations

  Somatic yoga focuses on internal sensations, proprioception (awareness of one's body in space), and mindful movement. 

• Release muscular tension

  Somatic yoga can help release pent up emotions and muscular tension. 

• Work with subtle anatomy

  Somatic yoga works closely with the systems of subtle anatomy, like the nadis (energy channels), chakras (energy centers), and pranic flow. 

• Develop self-compassion

  Somatic yoga can help you develop a more self-compassionate relationship with yourself and your body. 

Here is a short, relaxing routine from Dr. Schwartz:

https://youtu.be/1FpSUURvIw8?si=ikS2iVd7-1O0LtYV

Let’s Create a Community for Change: In our blog section, we will discuss Lifestyle Changes that improve your mental health very quickly: Meaningful Movement

I’ll never ask you to slave away in the gym.

Your body was made to move. Unfortunately, it can be hard to muster up the energy to do this when you have mental health symptoms. But there are ways to move your body that will make you feel better. Every week I will provide free links to exercises for different conditions

CHAIR EXECRISE: Excellent for people with lower back pain, knee pain, poor balance, weak lower extremities. You can still work up a sweat, get your heart rate and MOST IMPORTANTLY increase your serotonin, dopamine and endorphin levels while decreasing cortisol and inflammation.

Research has shown that chair exercises help to increase muscle strength and improve flexibility. If you start with chair exercises, you can slowly work your way up to standing exercises. The study below highlights all of the benefits: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7920319/

You may ask, how do I start exercising when I feel exhausted. You may have difficulties with sleep. Waking up in the morning to exercise may seem impossible. We will discuss supplements to help with this. You may also find that when you make changes to your diet, you have more energy. However challenging this may seem, we will work on a plan together. Exercise is one of the single best things you can do for mental health. If you stick with some sort of movement program, I promise you, you feel great! Please use the following link for free YouTube chair workouts: https://www.youtube.com/@SeniorShapeFitness

There are so many options out there! All of them are free! I highly recommend YouTube for your fitness needs!