What is box-breathing? Know health benefits of THIS technique

There is no getting away from stress for most of us be it work place or at home. A study revealed that people who experience chronic stress show signs of accelerated immune ageing. While stress is linked to about 20 per cent higher risk of death. Psychologists say, to manage stress and anxiety feeling calmer is extremely important and is a matter that we take for granted. Breathing is an automatic body function for which we have voluntary control over it. In a recent health podcast Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu discussed box breathing.

In the podcast, a Toronto-based fitness expert Alkesh talked about box breathing, he said it is a breathing practice in which we have to breathe in with a count of 8, hold the breath for a count of 8 and release the breath for a count of 8 and again redo the process. As per Alkesh, this helps in digestion and detoxification.

What is Box-Breathing?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, box breathing is a form of yogic deep breathing practice. It is also known as sama vritti pranayama, born of the yogic practice of pranayama or focus on breathing. The reason why it is called a ‘box breathing’ is because it refers to the fact that a box has four sides, a concept to represent breathing while you slowly count to four for a total of four times. It includes four counts of breathing in, four counts of holding the breath, four counts of exhaling and four more counts of holding the breath after exhaling.

This technique goes by other names, too:

4×4 breathing

4-4-4-4 breathing

Equal breathing

Four-square breathing

Square breathing

Benefits of box-breathing

Reduces stress: Box breathing helps to lower stress, relaxes the body, can reduce the levels of the stress hormone called cortisol and even may reduce blood pressure levels.

Calms the mind: Practising the box-breathing technique offers mindfulness and relaxes the body and mind.

Activates parasympathetic nervous system: If you are stressed then your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert but with the help of box breathing you can move out from this state of mind.