Woo-sah
If you've heard the term 'woo-sah' before, you know it means to calm down or relax; of course it fits that the idea of calming down is conveyed through imitating taking a breath: in (woo) and out (sah.) This is because something about taking a moment to slow down and consciously breathe can alter our current state quickly and relax us. When we take this concept further it's called breath work, which is basically the concept of taking the time to consciously breathe to reach a goal.
There are probably endless amounts of patterns of breathing, or breath exercises, that you can do but I'm going to introduce the three most common exercises. As you dive deeper into meditation, yoga, and spirituality you'll see that there are many more breath practices that can achieve higher goals.
The first exercise I'll mention is called 4-7-8 breathing. This is the first breathwork exercise I learned about while in therapy as a kid. This technique is specifically meant to help decrease anxiety and calm the nervous system. When you find yourself in a heightened state, this really helps in getting back to center. First, breathe in, through your nose, for four seconds - then hold that breath for seven seconds - lastly, breathe out slowly for eight seconds. 4, 7, 8. Every time I do this I instantly feel a release; a plus is if you can close your eyes. I also recommend counting in your head to start so that you can get the idea of about how long each step is; counting will also help you focus during this moment if you're getting easily distracted.
The next one, which is the one I do most often, is called deep belly breathing. This practice really helps to focus and silence your thoughts. As the name suggests, this technique is all in the stomach, your chest shouldn't move at all. With that being said, start with a deep, full breath through your belly. You should feel the breath in your stomach and your stomach should be the one rising. After the inhale, exhale slowly and fully. Unlike the first exercise, this can be done continuously without counting for any amount of time or holding the breath at any moment. Just continuously breathe deep and full in through the belly and then fully exhale.
The last one I'll touch on today is called the breath of fire. This practice is used most frequently in yoga and really helps in stimulating your lungs, strengthening the solar plexus chakra, and increasing oxygen flow. Unlike with the previous practice, this breath work will not come from deep in the belly but a little bit higher up, where your solar plexus is. Your breaths in and out will be equal to each other and I would actually begin by exhaling. Do a strong exhale from your nose, pulling your core in: as you push air out through your nose, your core should be going in simultaneously. Your inhale is more relaxed: as your upper abdominal muscles relax after being pulled in, air comes in naturally, through the nose, rather than by effort.
As you do these practices you may notice tingling sensations, light headedness, and fluttering eyes, especially if you are already deep in meditation. Your body may be trying to adjust to the breathwork or possibly through this breathwork you are activating parts of you that aren't normally unlocked. These sensations may be the reaction to your body accessing energy it hadn't before.
Breathwork has several different benefits and purposes. The main goal though is to bring your attention back to you, gaining awareness, slowing down and consciously breathing. We start to move so fast through life that we begin to forget about automatic functions like breathing. But remember: our breath has power, life, and energy and when used consciously, can unlock parts of us that were formerly dormant.