And breathe…

Breathwork instructor Ania Marchwiak shares some simple techniques that you can use to relax, or feel energised.

By Ania Marchwiak Illustrations by Hannah Moshtael

Breathwork. This is the answer I give every time someone asks me what I do if I’ve had a bad day, feel anxious, stressed, want to relax or get energised. This ancient wisdom, which is also called pranayama, has been growing in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic, and is a great tool if you want to work on – and support your – respiratory system, as well as your body, mind and spirit.

The benefits of breathwork can include: decreasing stress and anxiety levels; improving immunity; improving mental clarity and concentration; improving sleep; and improving cardiovascular health and circulation.

There are many different techniques to use depending on what benefits you want to experience. Some use strong breaths and belly contractions to energise and cleanse, helping to increase blood flow through the body. Others are used to balance and relax your mind and body with slow and deep inhalations, and gentle, long exhalations.

Here are a couple of techniques that you can safely do in the comfort of your own home.

Calm Down

with nadi shodana (alternate nostril breathing)

1. Sit in a comfortable position (such as crosslegged or kneeling if they work for you) and take some slow, deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

2. Try and bring yourself to the present moment. Close your eyes and do a mental body scan. Feel the weight of your body on the ground. Is there a sense of heaviness or lightness in the body? Scan down from the top of your head to your toes. Notice all the different sensations. Be an observer.. What feels comfortable? What doesn’t? Try not to change any of the sensations. Just watching, observing, as you move down through the body. Allow your thoughts to come and go. The moment you notice you feel distracted, come back to the scan. Watch those thoughts come and go. When you get to the toes, open your eyes again.

3. Put your left hand on your left knee.

4. Bring your right hand in front of your face.

5. Rest your middle and index fingers on your forehead.

6. Rest your ring finger and thumb close to the nostrils on either side of the nose.

7. Close off your right nostril with your thumb and slowly inhale through your left nostril.

8. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger and pause* for a second.

9. Keep the left nostril closed and remove your thumb from your right nostril and slowly exhale through your right nostril. Pause.

10. Inhale slowly through your right nostril.

11. Close off your right nostril with your thumb and pause.

12. Remove your ring finger from your left nostril and slowly exhale through your left nostril. Pause.

13. Inhale slowly through your left nostril.

14. Repeat steps 8 to 12.

You can do this exercise for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. This breathing technique should leave you feeling relaxed, calm and centred. It can also make you feel cold, so have a blanket nearby.

*You don’t need to pause between the inhales and exhales, it’s optional.

Get energised

with chit shakti prakriya

Note: this exercise is not recommended during pregnancy and if you have high blood pressure, serious heart disease, epilepsy or have recently had a surgery.

1. Sit in a comfortable position (such as crosslegged or kneeling) and take some slow, deep breaths.

2. Bring yourself to the present moment. See above.

3. Inhale strongly into your belly and reach your arms up straight either side of your head with your hands open and your palms facing together.

4. On exhalation, make your hands into a fist and bring your arms down with some force so your arms are bent and your hands are at shoulder level. You can swing your arms back to help you get the momentum to get them up again.

5. Repeat for 20 breaths.

6. Make your last inhale long and deep.

7. With a slow exhale bring your hands slowly to your knees.

8. Rest for 30 seconds.

9. If everything feels fine, do another round. You can safely do three rounds and even increase the repetitions if you feel like it (for example, Round 1 – 20 breaths, Round 2 – 30 breaths, Round 3 – 40 breaths).

This exercise will warm up your body and leave you energised and ready to roll!

Remember: if anything does not feel right at any point – STOP. Breathe normally for a minute or two. If you would like more guidance, are interested in attending a session, or have questions about breathwork feel free to get in touch at breathing.space.glasgow@gmail.com or follow @breathingspaceglasgow on Instagram