 Qigong Breathing for Stress Relief
All of us experience stress in our busy lives. Stress
can have significantly different effects depending on how we deal with
it. Stress has been shown to adversely affect blood pressure, sleep
patterns, libido, and immune system. There have been thousands of
articles and books written on the subject of stress relief. Here is a
brief breathing exercise from the Chinese art of Qigong to relieve
stress and energize your body. Stand relaxed with your heels
together and your feet at forty-five degrees. Relax and take a couple
of slow breaths. Try to let your body settle and your pelvis to rotate
slightly forward with your knees slightly bent. Place your hands
slightly below your waist with your palms facing upwards. This will
rotate your elbows slightly outwards. Breathe in slowly as you bring
your hands up and out as if scribing a circle. When your hands
meet at the top of the circle, slowly bring them down the center of
your body with palms facing downwards as if pushing a long plunger. As
you breathe out, focus on the stress flowing out of your body, through
your feet, into the ground. Exhale fully. It may take some practice to
empty your lungs completely, but this will come. Repeat the above breathing three times. As you repeat the exercise try to make the exhale last longer each time. Over
time, this exercise will feel more powerful and more relaxing. Try to
keep your mind blank and body relaxed while doing this exercise. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Ready
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