If you are preparing for a mediation, a difficult conversation, or performance, you are likely to feel stress and anxiety. Practicing a few simple grounding exercises can help you reduce tension, increase calm, and allow you to approach the event with intention and focus. Here is a list of different exercises to try before and/or during a stressful event. Pick exercises from a couple different categories and see what works best for you!
Breathing Exercises
Equal Breathing: Count as you inhale and exhale by the same count.
Belly Breathing: This can be done lying on your back, sitting, or standing. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Relax your belly completely and try to inhale to expand only your belly. The hand on your belly should move and rise a lot more than the hand on your chest, which should remain relatively still.
Longer Exhales: Each breath, count the time it takes to inhale and lengthen the time it takes to exhale. Try to exhale through the nose.
Box Breathing: This exercise is similar to equal breathing, except at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale you hold your breath for the same count as you inhale and exhale. For example, inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and repeat.
Lion’s Breath: Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling up your belly and chest. Stick your tongue out and forcefully exhale through the mouth, making a “Ha” sound.
Humming: Close your mouth and take a deep breath. Exhale and hum with your mouth closed, or exhale “Ohm” ending in a deep hum (Ah - Oh - mm).
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