The Relaxing Breath
1- Sit or lie comfortably with your back straight, and place your tongue in what is called the yogic position: Touch the tip of your tongue to the back of your upper front teeth and slide it up until it rests on the ridge of tissue between your teeth and palate. Keep your tongue there for the duration of the exercise.
2- Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly button.
3- Exhale completely through the mouth, making an audible whoosh sound.
4- Close your mouth lightly. Inhale through your nose quietly, counting to 4. Make sure that the hand on your belly button is the one that moves up. This will ensure that you are breathing from the abdomen.
5- Hold your breath for the count of 7.
6- Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8. If you have difficulty exhaling with your tongue in place, try pursing your lips. Again, make sure that the hand on the belly button is the one moving.
7- Repeat steps 3 through 5 three more times, for a total of 4 cycles. Breathe normally and observe how your body feels. The key to doing this exercise is keeping to the ratio of 4-7-8.
Breath Control
1- Holding your right nostril shut with the edge of your right thumb, inhale through the left nostril to a count of 8. Then place your index finger against your left nostril and hold your breath for a further count of 8.
2- Release your thumb from the right nostril and exhale to a count of 8, keeping your index finger on the left nostril. Then begin inhaling again through the right nostril, reversing the sequence. Repeat the two rounds five times.