Exercise 3: Breathing to Relax

...is the most important key to begin Balancing Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).Breathing to restore and/or strengthen the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) by balancing the SNS and PSNS.

Stand or sit straight, shoulders relaxed, the top of your head parallel to the ceiling.

• Place your left hand on your navel (your belly button), and your right hand on your diaphragm
• Slowly, breathe in through your nose (to the count of 3), blowing up your belly and diaphragm
• Breathe out slowly through your mouth to the count of 6.
• (Notice how your belly and your diaphragm fall back as you breathe out.)
• Don’t stifle a yawn if it comes naturally. Relax and enjoy the yawn.

Repeat the above exercise two more times.

Remember:

In this exercise you practice breathing in and out three times. This establishes a pattern of 3 repetitions to achieve conditioning. In the future as you learn new exercises, always practice them three times.

Attention:

If you have a breathing problem--wait 15 minutes between each pattern of three.