Keep calm & (box) breathe

If you get butterflies in your stomach too often, have short fuses every now and then, and succumb to pressure without knowing how to handle it, then box breathing is your answer to fix all these problems. It is a powerful technique to de-stress one’s mind and body while encountering a crisis. Taking bouts of slow and deep breaths to the count of four is the usual method applied by this work-out technique. A few minutes’ practice of box breathing could make a world of difference to your mental and physical state. Some immediate benefits are a calm body, a tension-free mind, and decreasing depression.

What is It?

In medical parlance, box breathing is basically a technique that engages with the'rest and digest’ component of the autonomic nervous system (which regulates heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal) to slow down the body and help it relax.

Fitness trainers comment that it reduces the heart and the respiratory rate, lowers the acute stress response, and places one in a much quieter and coolerstate.

“We call it a ‘box’ because an individual is asked to imagine breathing along the sides of a square box constituting four-second inhalation via the noise, 4 seconds of gently holding the breath with expanded lungs, 4-second exhalation through the mouth and finally, a four-second breath-hold with empty lungs. This cycle is repeated four times,” explains leading longevity physician Dr Marcus Ranney, also the founder and CEO of the longevity science company Human Edge.

Seconding his opinion, wellness coach and author Deanne Panday said, “Box breathing works by distracting your mind as you count to four, easing your nervous system and dwindling the pangs of stress in your body.”

Standard count

“It is actually four but can be increased to six over a period of time. I don’t advise anything further, as people may begin to feel giddy and risk hurting themselves,” notes Dr Ranney. Ideally, a person should repeat the steps for four minutes, or until calm returns.

“If they find the technique too taxing, they can then try counting to three instead of four. Once they get used to the technique, they may choose to count to five or six maximum,” says Panday.

Benefits

Other than controlling stress and nervousness as well as composing the breathing rate, box breathing can be beneficial for vagal tone activation. It benefits the digestive tract by improving its quality and increasing the number of signals being sent to it over a period of time.

Panday shares that ‘it can help cope with panic and stress when feeling overwhelmed.’

It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest and smooth digestion, when the body is relaxed, resting, or feeding. “Whenever we are angry, stressed or anxious, the first thing that gets affected is our breath. Our breath duration and the breathing style change on its own. We start breathing shallowly and quickly. At that time, if we make a conscious effort to take control of our breath, it boosts our parasympathetic nervous system,” elaborates avid Hatha Yoga practitioner Radhika Sharma, who’s also a certified Yin Yoga teacher.

For mighty hearts

It is also often called the Navy Seal breathing technique or combat breathingbecause of its highly skilled military tactic to intensify focus and toughen the nerves to cope with high-pressure situations. But it can absolutely be adopted by ordinary peopleas well?

“I personally use this technique before I walk into a big meeting or deliver a presentation. It helps centre my mind and body, clear the baggage of thoughts and enable me to solely focus on the job at hand,” confirms Dr Ranney.

“A routine practice helps train the body to react in a particular manner during exigencies. Secondly, it helps cut the clutter of the mind and calm its fluctuations to focus better,” views Sharma.

Relatable jobs

Apart from the naval special warfare force, law enforcement officials, nurses, professional sportspersons apply this technique to deal with their heavy-duty, anxiety-driven jobs.

Better to skip

“Those with high blood pressure and pregnant ladies in particular should speak to a doctor before trying it,” observes Panday.

Right age

One can initiate training in box breathing at an early age. There is no stipulated age limit to start practising box breathing.

Tips to box breathe

1 Sit in a chair, stand or lie down on your back with one hand on your chest and another on your stomach. If you are seated, ensure that your back is well supported and your feet are firmly touching the floor.

2 Breathe as you would normally for a minute.

3 Observe the rise and fall of your chest and stomach. If you notice that your chest is rising but not your stomach, you are shallow breathing. If your stomach also rises, you are then deep breathing, thus activating full relaxation of your body.

4 Deeply exhale through your nose.

5 Empty your lungs and stomach.

6 Inhale for the count of four. Fill your lungs and belly, and focus on the breath going in.

7 Hold your breath inside

8 Count to four.

9 Exhale through your mouth steadily for the count of four. 10. Observe the breath coming out of your belly and lungs.

10 Hold your breath outside for the count of four.

11 Repeat three to four times and then return to your natural breathing.

12 An important aspect is to stick to the course and maintain the duration of counting.

13 With time and regular practice, the count can be increased to as high as 8-8-8-8.

14 It can also be tried by sitting down upright with your feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes and breathe in to start the entire process. It's that simple.

15 To begin with, try and sit in a cross-legged position. This helps straighten the spine and open the shoulders. You may choose to sit on the floor, on a yoga mat or on your bed. If a cross-legged position seems difficult, sit with one ankle in front of the other or on a chair with your back straight.

16 Sit in a dimly lit environment and close your eyes. This is optional but helps focus better.

17 Repeat at least four rounds of box breathing

18 Slowly open your eyes. If you feel dizzy, lie down on your back for a couple of minutes.

19 You may also set an alarm for four minutes in the beginning, if it helps.

20 You may also choose to keep your one hand on the chest while the other on the abdomen to observe the breath going in and coming out.

People with hypertension and women who are carrying are advised against this practice as it involves breath retention. Asthma patients should also seek a doctor's consultation before taking the plunge — Radhika Sharma, Hatha Yoga practitioner

We call it a ‘box’ because an individual is asked to imagine breathing along the sides of a square box constituting 4-sec inhalation via the noise, 4 sec of gently holding the breath with expanded lungs, 4-sec exhalation through the mouth and finally, a 4-sec breath-hold with empty lungs. This cycle is repeated 4 times. — Dr Marcus Ranney, leading longevity physician