There's a simple deep-breathing exercise that has a very calming effect:

Concentrate and focus your whole mind on your breathing. Breathe in deeply, through your nose, in TWO inward breaths, drawing the air down into your stomach.

Hold the breath here for two heartbeats.

Now breathe out through your mouth, in TWO outward breaths.

Your stomach should move when you breathe in this way, not your chest.

Do this from ten to fifteen times. This is a form of breathing exercise used at the basic level in many martial arts.


If you'd like to enhance it's effect, you can imagine that you're underwater in a calm, calm pool while doing it - Breathing in the calmness, allowing it to spread through your mind and body.

This post has been edited by Yratorm, LightMage: Dec 23 2006, 05:42 AM

of course! i do it most of the time. when i lie in my bed, before i sleep, i do some deep breathing. i also do it to calm myself whenever i'm tense. i also do it when i meditate.

Yes I do that when I am really worried about something. I actually suffer form panic attacks and I normally try and do that when I am having an attack. It is really helpful when I am really nervous about something. I also do it when I am in a test, because it relaxes me so I am more motivated to do the test than I would be otherwise. Yes I just think it is a really good tecnique, I would be quite lost wihout it!lol