5 Types of Breathing Exercises before Meditation

Breathing exercises are a simple but powerful way to promote relaxation and reduce stress. Here are a few different breathing exercises you can try:

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing your belly to rise as you fill your lungs with air. Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing your belly to fall as you empty your lungs. Try to breathe in a slow and steady rhythm, focusing on the sensation of the breath as it enters and exits your body.

4-7-8 Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and inhale for a count of 4, hold the breath for a count of 7, and exhale for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of the breath as it enters and exits your body.

Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and hold your right thumb over your right nostril, inhale deeply through your left nostril. Close your left nostril with your ring finger, and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril. Continue this pattern for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of the breath as it enters and exits your body.

Box Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Inhale for a count of four, hold the breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold the breath again for a count of four. Repeat this cycle for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of the breath as it enters and exits your body.

Loving-Kindness Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale say to yourself "may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe, may I be at ease." Continue breathing in and out while repeating this phrase to yourself. After a few minutes, you can start to expand the circle of loving-kindness to include other people in your life, starting with people you care about, then people you have neutral feelings towards, and eventually to all beings.

These are just a few examples of different breathing exercises you can try. You can choose the one that you feel most comfortable with or you can try different ones at different times. Remember that the most important thing is to focus on the sensation of the breath and to be consistent with your practice.