This is a breathing exercise that will make you very relaxed. You can use it if you are nervous (stomach ache nervous), have anxiety about something, it might help you if you have IBS, it cures short term anger about something, etc...
You need to perform 16-20 repetitions of the following steps. Please read all of the steps to make sure you know what to do, before you start:
- Take a deep breath in, slowly. How slowly? Count to five with about one count per second. It may take some practice to be able to inhale this slowly, so do your best. Also, and this is fairly important, try to breathe with your diaphragm. In other words, your stomach should move out while you take this breath in. This may take a bit of practice, so practice breathing in while moving your stomach out first, before you begin this exercise in full.
- Then hold your breath to a count of eight seconds. Do your best to make the count actual seconds, not a rapid 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
- Exhale to a count of nine seconds.
Executive summary: Breathe in for five seconds (all the way in - deep breath). Then hold your very deep breath for eight seconds. Slowly exhale for nine seconds. Repeat the exercise 15-19 more times.
You may not feel much in the first 4-8 repetitions, but you will feel a relaxing feeling come over you in the latter repetitions, I guarantee you.
Feel free to ask questions if any part of this exercise is confusing or difficult to understand.