Belly breathing isn’t an easy skill to learn… especially for a panicker like me.
When I first started trying to breathe diaphragmatically while under lots of stress in grad school, the whole effort was a miserable failure. Whenever I tried, even in the comfort of my own apartment, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air. And that airless feeling, in turn, would usually trigger a panic attack.
Despite my perennial pessimism in most other parts of life, I kept trying.
I kept trying at home. I kept trying in my university’s anxiety management class. I kept trying in the library. I kept trying and trying and trying.
And now, four or five odd years later, I’m finally able to breathe out of my belly instead of my upper chest. Through mindfulness, I’m now able to notice when my breathing pattern is off — and then, I can consciously correct it.
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Site last updated: 19 Jun 2013
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This was a very informative video. I downloaded the app and included a link here from my blog at my website: Stress Solutions for Pregnant Moms. Thank you very much!
Too bad it can’t be downloaded on an Android phone. But I do use the app Stop Panic & Anxiety from Excel at Life. I find it very soothing, especially the talk she gives when you’re in the middle of an attack.