One of the most important parts of meditation is the act of mindful breathing, but what exactly does it mean when a meditation How-To tells you to “take a slow, deep breath”? How deep is deep breathing? How slow is slow? It turns out that there are a number of breathing techniques, each with their own unique benefits for the body and mind.
From square breathing to resonant breathing to diaphragmatic breathing, if you feel like you need to develop your breathing skills, Mesmerize is an invaluable resource. Each unique visual is programmed to twist and swirl in time with the different movements of your breathing cycle, making it easy to get into a relaxing rhythm.
Mesmerize: An Audio-Visual Meditation Experience
- Hypnotic visuals that ‘breathe’ in time with breathing patterns clinically-proven to promote relaxation
- Handcrafted musical soundscapes made with scientific rigor to reduce stress
- Guided voice narrations based on real clinical relaxation studies
- Meditation music proven to cause a greater sense of well-being than conventional relaxation soundtracks in a peer-reviewed clinical trial
- New visual and audio content added each month
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Breathing Patterns for Stress Reduction
Some breathing exercises are more practical than others. For daily stress reduction, or for use at school or in therapy, consider adding these basic techniques into your breathing practice.
Resonant Breathing
- 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out
- A rate of 6 breaths per minute produces a “resonance” between heart rate and blood pressure, whereby they oscillate inversely from one another.
- Scientific studies have shown that heart rate variability, the gold standard measure of stress, is maximally increased (that’s a good thing!) when subjects breath at this resonant frequency.
4-7-8 Breathing
- 4 seconds in, 7 seconds hold, 8 seconds out
- Also known as “relaxing breath” and “calm breathing”, in 4-7-8 breathing subjects use the exhale of their breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system--the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system that activates the fight or flight response.
- Commonly used to control impulses such as cigarette or food cravings and before sleep.
Square Breathing
- 4 seconds in, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds out, 4 seconds hold
- Also known as “box breathing,” square breathing is a relaxation technique with a simple rhythm, making it easy to use even in more difficult breathing conditions when a visual breathing aid is not available.
- Consider saying a four syllable word in your head (such as “Miss-iss-ipp-i”) to keep a proper pace.
Qigong Breathing
- 4 seconds in (nose), 4 seconds hold, 6 seconds out (mouth), 2 seconds hold
- A breathing technique used by Qigong practitioners that activates the parasympathetic nervous system in similar was to 4-7-8 breathing.
- Clinical psychiatrists have recommended Qigong breathing for its effects like rapidly reducing anxiety and controlling intense emotions like rage and suicidal thoughts in patients.
Mesmerize’s Deep Breathing Visual Aids
The most important part of breath work is keeping a steady rhythm, but for many people it is easy to fall out of the pattern--especially while meditating and clearing one’s mind. What has made Mesmerize so successful is the way that it helps users breath at their desired pace.
By using beautiful images of complex patterns that twist and spiral in time with your pre-made or custom breathing pattern, Mesmerize makes it easy to let your mind wander all while not missing a breath. It is the perfect app for practicing breathing and overcoming dysfunctional breathing and other breathing disorders.
Download for a FREE TRIAL and let Mesmerize take care of the rhythm.