Slimming Breath

Great for times when you're about to start indulging on all those fatty and sugary foods. This exercise appeases hunger and thirst.

Stick out your tongue, it's sides folded upward to form a taco shell shape, then breathe in slowly and deeply through your mouth.

Withdraw your tongue and place it behind the upper teeth for a short time, with the breath retained, before ehailing slowly through both nostrils.

The exhalation should be longer than the inhalation.

Balancing Calming Breath

Alternate nostril breathing is a great exercise when you're feeling stressed, out of control, or just disconnected.

Sit or kneel comfortably, keeping the spine erect.

Gently bend your head forward a little and using your right hand place your right thumb over the right nostril and your right ring finger over the left nostril. Your index and middle finger are gently placed between and slightly above your eyebrow.

With your thumb closing your right nostril, slowly breathe in through your left nostril. Pause gently, retaining the breath by closing both nostrils with the approriate fingers, and when necessary exhale through your right nostril by releasing the thumb.

Breathe straight back up your right nostril, pause, closing both nostrils, and then exhale through your left nostril by releasing the ring finger. This complets one round of this calming breath.

Complete a couple of rounds at your own breathing rate to begin with then work to the follwing pattern: breath in for 2 counts, hold for the count of 8 and out for the count of 4. Try to pull your abdomen in and exhale every little last bit of air.

Perform seven rounds and you will feel calmer and more balanced.

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