7 steps for mindful breathing

If everything seems to be upside down and you wish to escape and travel to the other side of the world to catch your breath, but it’s not possible, here are seven steps for mindful breathing.

These are recommended by our Yogi at Milaidhoo, who has put together seven guidelines for mindful breathing. Conscious breathing becomes a powerful meditation practice for the mind. It will help you relax and relieve the pressure and stress of your everyday life.

1. Relax: Take your time!

Start practising deep breathing when you are relaxed; don’t strain or force yourself about breathing properly. Do it naturally. Just take a moment, keep calm… and breathe – it only takes a few seconds.

2. Breathe through your nose

Try as much as possible to do this as it will regulate the airflow and shift your focus.

3. Practise diaphragm belly breathing

While breathing in, your diaphragm should contract, your belly should expand while your lungs fill with air. Close your eyes and be conscious of what is happening in your body while breathing deeply.

4. Have a breathing pattern

Try to follow a regular breathing pattern, such as the 478 or 555. The first digit is the number of seconds you breathe in, the second the number of seconds while you hold your breath, the third digit represents the number of seconds to breathe out. Thus 478 means four seconds to breathe in, seven seconds to hold the breath and eight seconds to breathe out.

5. Be mindful of all the above techniques

Don’t make it too complicated, just follow the above steps for a while until you feel fully comfortable and then start to implement mindful breathing naturally in your daily life.

6. Follow a healthy lifestyle

To support your wellbeing, exercise regularly, eat healthily, drink enough water, get enough sleep and maintain a sensible weight.

7. One breath at a time

Our breathing patterns change along with our outer and inner environment so it is very important to remember to take one breath at a time. Although the breathing process happens unconsciously, we can still be alert to it by taking a break and breathing correctly whenever possible during the day.