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Breath of Fire
This fluttery breath builds heat in the body, encourages digestion and is a great way to beat the afternoon slump. Inhale a big breath. Begin rapidly and shallowly exhaling and inhaling through your nose. Don’t force it – you want your breath to be light and shallow, like a dog’s pant. Your coworker in the next cubicle shouldn’t be able to hear you. The rapid movement of the diaphragm wakes up the core of your body and encourages the circulation of energy throughout your entire body. Continue for 50 inhales and exhales.
Belly Breathing
When you breathe so that your stomach inflates as you inhale, you’re giving your diaphragm a mini-workout, encouraging more oxygen to flow throughout your body and gently stimulating your digestive organs. How to do it: Rest one hand on your stomach, below your belly button. Exhale fully, then slowly inhale and concentrate on sending your breath into your belly, so your hand moves away from your spine as you fill up with air. As you exhale, feel your hand move back in toward your spine. Even one belly breath is helpful, but doing five or 10 – depending on the time you have – is even more beneficial.