- Sit up in a chair, or stand up, with your feet planted on the ground.
- Place one hand on your chest, and the other hand on your belly.
- Inhale through your nose and try to send the breath down to your belly, feeling the belly rise against your hand.
- Exhale slowly through the nose or mouth and feel how your hand lowers back down as the belly softens and lets go.
- As you inhale, let your belly expand and fill with air.
- As you exhale, notice your belly soften and fall.
- Notice how the hand on your chest remains steady as your belly rises and falls with the breath.
- Repeat for 3-5 minutes.
- Once you’ve finished, notice if anything is different from just a few moments ago. Are there any shifts, however tiny or subtle, in how your body feels? See if you can put words to what you notice.
( i ) Deep belly breathing sends a signal along the vagus nerve to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which can reduce the experience of stress and anxiety.