The secret to calm? Your nose knows.<\/p>\n
Much has been made about how meditation<\/a> and breathing exercises can reduce stress<\/a>, but there\u2019s an easy nostril exercise that proponents say can calm you down in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n Marcela Christjansen<\/a>, a yoga teacher and wellness expert at\u00a0Bay Club<\/a>, told The Post that the simple, ancient technique can leverage breath to control energetic flow, increase focus and reduce stress levels \u2014 all with the flick of a finger.<\/p>\n Christjansen explains that when we feel overwhelmed, the mind is overactive, making it difficult to center, concentrate, and feel present in our lives. Marcela Christjansen<\/p>\n Known in Sanskrit as \u201cNadi Sodhana\u201d \u2014 which translates loosely to \u201ccleansing passage\u201d \u2014 alternate nostril breathing sweeps stress away and extends inhalation and exhalation by breathing alternately through each nostril. <\/p>\n \u201cAlternate nostril\u00a0breathing helps\u00a0regulate the nervous system, allowing us to feel calmer,\u201d Christjansen said. \u201cThis practice can help us regain focus and feel more centered, less stressed in specific situations, and better able to concentrate.\u201d<\/p>\n When we feel overwhelmed, she explained, the mind is overactive, making it difficult to center, concentrate, and feel present in our lives.<\/p>\n \u201cBy bringing our attention to the breath and using the nostrils to lengthen both inhales and exhales, it\u2019ll allow the mind to slow down, at times even to be more still,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis helps balance the nervous system and promotes a parasympathetic response that makes us feel calmer.\u201d<\/p>\n You just need to follow six straightforward steps.<\/p>\n For beginners, Christjansen recommends aiming for two to three minutes of this type of breathwork. alfa27 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n How to practice alternate nostril breathing<\/p>\n For beginners, Christjansen recommends aiming for two to three minutes of this type of breathwork, which can be done anytime and anywhere, save for when you\u2019re operating a motor vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is great before a presentation, when feeling over tired, when feeling anxious, and having difficulty focusing and calming down. It can be a regular practice every morning and\/or evening,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n According to Christjansen, meditation is erroneously and somewhat intimidatingly billed as a practice to \u201cquiet the mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Christjansen notes that while many are resistant to the idea of meditation or mindfulness, we are all, to some degree, already practicing it. Marcela Christjansen<\/p>\n \u201cThat is practically impossible. The mind wanders whether we like it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, she assures readers that through meditation, mindfulness or simple breath-practice, \u201cwe can become aware of that wandering and \u2018choose\u2019 to focus our attention on what\u2019s here in this moment and present.\u201d<\/p>\n She notes that while many are resistant to the idea of meditation or mindfulness, we are all, to some degree, already practicing it. <\/p>\n \u201cEvery time we concentrate on something specific for any amount of time, or every time you feel you are \u2018in the flow,\u2019 or those few moments right after you wake up and before you get up, it can all be seen as a form of meditation and\/or mindfulness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She admits that maintaining concentration is a challenge, but assures that the more we use breathing exercises, the more we can hone the ability to consciously direct our attention. <\/p>\n \u201cBreath-practices are in their own way a way to meditate, but more importantly, they are a practice to gain clarity, to reduce anxiety, to calm the mind (anymore) by bringing the focus momentarily to the breath,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n