Self-Care Quest Day 11: The Cooling Breath

It's Day 11 of the Self-Care Quest and we have a lovely breathing exercise to share.

Borrowed from the yoga practice of pranayama, the cooling breath is useful for times when you feel hot and bothered, this breathing exercise has a similar effect to the way dogs cool themselves down by panting, though you'll be glad to know it looks more discreet and you can do it without anyone noticing.

Part your lips slightly and curl your tongue up so it's resting on the roof of your mouth, behind your top teeth (the place you put your tongue to make the sound of the letter "l"). Now breath in slowly through your slightly open mouth, and feel the cool sensation of the incoming air on the underside of your tongue. Hold the breath for a moment or two and then exhale slowly through your nose. You can repeat this until you feel cool, calm and collected.

Some more breathing techniques to help you Slay your Anxiety:

Anxiety Breathing Technique: Silent Witness Breathing

Anxiety Breathing Technique: The Bumble Bee Breath