June 9, 2005

Almost every person suffers from stress and anxiety at one time or another. To minimize these problems Inamul Haq writes about a simple but unique breathing exercise

Stress is a common problem faced by almost everyone, regardless of age, sex social status, ethnic or religious background, in one way or another.

It is characterized by tension and tiredness and affects people mentally, emotionally and physically. The basic symptoms of stress are headaches, migraine, hypertension, and digestive disorders to name a few.

Having complete faith in one’s religion is a relaxing practice in itself and it never fails. Along with this, positive attitude, optimistic mindset and certain exercises such as yoga, meditation, and acupuncture also effectively reduce tension in the body and stabilize the mind.

A useful technique to relieve anxiety and maintain emotional stability is Alternate Nostril Breathing. It is an easy exercise and can be done anywhere and anytime.

To do this, sit in a cross-legged posture or on a chair with a straight back, and follow these steps:

*Close your eyes and take two to three deep breaths

*Put your hand on the forehead (as shown in the illustrations). Rest your right thumb against the right nostril, putting the index and middle fingers together on the forehead. Let the ring and little finger rest lightly against the left nostril

*Block your right nostril with the thumb and inhale with the left nostril till a count of six. Now block both nostrils and hold breath till the count of six. Then block the left nostril and exhale from the right till the count of six

*Now change the sequence, in other words repeat the same procedure but use the other nostril for blocking/breathing.

This breathing method can be practiced twice or thrice a day. Though this exercise can be done anytime, for best results the technique should be followed before going to bed as it helps in inducing sleep.

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