The easiest breath practice you can do to help relieve stress

Breath is an amazing tool, one that we utilize constantly in our pregnancy yoga practice. Breath not only helps us stay connected to the movement of our bodies, but it also helps us to connect to our potential to relax and release tension in the physical body.

These breath practices can also help to support a softening of the nervous system. When we are stressed or anxious our nervous system is on overdrive, often referred to as fight or flight. When stress hormones in the body rise, the nervous system kicks in and causes a certain changes to take place in response. This fight or flight reaction can make sleep much more difficult, can cause physical body tension and can cause issues around digestion and elimination

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I would hazard a guess, that most postpartum mamas are feeling some level of stress or anxiety around caring for their newborn. This is completely normal and to be expected (though if you are experiencing extreme levels of anxiety or stress I would highly recommend contacting a care provider as just as we know there is postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety disorders can also arise and should be addressed professionally). For most of us though, its managing that new world of caring for a human and all their constant needs.

I've mentioned before that we spend so much time preparing for labor and childbirth, and very little time actually preparing to be parents.

Stress and anxiety can be a big part of being a new parent.  And stress and anxiety can also lead to issues around sleeplessness (read more about help with sleep here), further compounded by the struggle that new parents have in getting good rest to begin with.

This is one of the simplest yoga breath practices that you can do to help relieve stress. It's so simple and easy it can be done as you are nursing or feeding your baby, or it can be done as you are holding your baby while they sleep. It’s also a wonderful practice as you close your eyes and lay down to rest:

1. Find a comfortable position for your body, whether it is sitting up or laying down. Let your eyes close, and if you're able to, bring your hands to rest on your belly.
2. Start by bringing your attention to your breath, you may start by noticing the breath flowing in and out of the nostrils. Perhaps feeling the sensation of the movement of breath over the top lip. Or you might notice that there's a slight coolness on the inhale and a warmer sensation on the exhalation.
3. Now become aware of your breath by noticing the movement of your belly. The hands on the belly are super helpful here especially in the first few times that you do this practice. As you inhale, direct the breath into your hands letting your belly expand like a balloon filling with air. And as you exhale, let your belly empty, deflating like a balloon emptying of air. Inhale let the belly expand as fully as possible and exhale let the belly empty completely.
4. Once you have access to this movement of breath (we call this belly breathing) bring your awareness to the inhale and exhale. Start to lengthen and even out the breath. Let your inhalation be as long as your exhalation, and if possible let it get a little bit longer.  You might start by inhaling to a count of four and exhaling to a count of four. Gradually increase the inhale to a five and exhale to a five. Continue this breathing at this longer rate, with the focus on belly movement, for 2 to 5 minutes.
5. And when you're ready to release a practice, take a few easy breaths and notice the changes that you feel in your body before you open your eyes.

Need more guidance? Visit our online yoga classes to find some recorded breath practices that you can do with the support of a teacher.