Belly breathing: the key to relaxation

Do you ever take the time to focus on your breathing? This is called conscious breathing. A pillar of sophrology, this gentle and deep practice of breath awareness is widely used in yoga. It consists of adopting calm and slow breathing, on which you focus all your attention. To become aware of your breathing, follow this exercise.

1: feeling the breath

• Close your eyes, let your breathing go (unconscious and automatic)

• Take a timer and count the number of breaths you take in the space of 10 seconds

• Repeat the experience by breathing slowly and calmly: inhale deeply for 2-3 seconds and exhale for 5-6 seconds while feeling the movements of the stomach, the rib cage, etc.

2: know your breathing

• Lie on the ground- Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest

• Observe during your breathing which of the 2 hands rises first.Nb: When you breathe through your chest, you do not fully use the capacities of your lungs, they tire more quickly because their oxygen reserves are less important. It is therefore important to learn so

• called “ abdominal ” or “ ventral ” breathing to obtain better muscle oxygenation and better performance.