Breathing Techniques for Relaxation, Energy, and Releasing Intense Emotions
Breathing exercises can help you relax, energize, and let go of boiling emotions. Here are some simple techniques you can use anytime you need to calm down, recharge, or release pent-up feelings.
Relaxation Exercises
- Inhale 1-2-3, Exhale 1-2-3-4-5-6-…
For relaxation, the exhale is key. The simplest exercise is to make your exhale longer than your inhale. Breathe in through your nose, taking a normal breath while counting evenly in your mind (you can count by pulse or just “one-two-three…”). For example, if your inhale takes 3 counts, your exhale should be slow and steady, lasting at least 5 counts or as long as your lungs allow. - Inhale 1-2-3-4, Pause 1-2-3-4, Exhale 1-2-3-4, Pause 1-2-3-4
This exercise is helpful if you’re anxious and your breathing or pulse is rapid. Inhale and exhale only through your nose, keeping both phases equal in length. Pause means holding your breath for the same count between inhale and exhale. - Inhale-Exhale Left Nostril, Inhale-Exhale Right Nostril
This exercise quickly helps you calm down, slow your pulse and breathing, and slightly lower blood pressure. Breathe through your nose. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and inhale and exhale calmly through your left nostril. Then switch: use your middle and ring fingers to close your left nostril (release the right), and inhale and exhale through your right nostril. If you prefer, you can inhale, close the right nostril, exhale and inhale; then close the left, exhale and inhale.
When practicing relaxation exercises, it’s important not only to breathe but also to consciously relax your muscles (whether you’re sitting, lying down, or walking). Visualize the air moving through your nose and throat into your lungs, your lungs expanding and contracting, and the air flowing back out. You don’t need to know anatomy—just shift your focus from external events to your internal sensations and give yourself a chance to recover.
Exercise for Energy
Do not perform this exercise if you have high blood pressure! It’s suitable when you feel tired, sleepy, or low on energy.
Focus on the inhale: make it long, active, and “pumping.” The exhale is casual, just to release the air from your chest. You can imagine a pump or a rubber bulb inside you, filling you with air and energy as you inhale, and simply releasing air as you exhale.
“Fire” Breathing for Releasing Intense Emotions
This technique helps release “boiling” emotions that you couldn’t express but shouldn’t keep inside—like anger, resentment, rage, irritation, anxiety, or aggression. Visualization is very important here: the more vividly you imagine, the more effectively you’ll let go of unwanted emotions. Breathe only through your nose.
- Imagine yourself as a fire-breathing dragon or another creature full of heat and energy. Feel all that boiling inside you.
- While holding this image, take a normal inhale, then do several short, powerful, sharp exhalations, picturing the heat and emotions leaving you in smoke, flames, and sparks.
- Inhale again, then exhale more quickly and frequently. With each round, increase the speed of your exhalations (just the sharp exhale part). Focus on the exhale; you can almost ignore the inhale.
How, When, and How Much to Practice
Of course, just 1-2 breaths won’t make a difference, but you also don’t need to count out 40-50 breaths. Pay attention to your own state and sensations—they’ll tell you when you’ve done enough or if you need to continue.
You don’t have to do all three relaxation exercises in a row. You might like one more than another, or find one suits a particular situation better. The main thing is that it feels good and you notice a positive effect.
Most of these exercises are unnoticeable to others, so you can use them anytime and anywhere as needed. The key is to remember, in the right moment, that you have a great self-regulation tool—your breath.