Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News & Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates Here
    • COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • Social Distancing, Quarantine Explained
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Meditation Home

    • Medical Reference
    • Features
    • Video
    • Slideshows & Images
    • More From WebMD
    • News Archive

    Health and Balance Home

    • News
    • Reference
    • Quizzes
    • Slideshows
    • Videos
    • Questions & Answers
    • Find a Psychologist

    Health & Balance Guide

    • A Balanced Life
    • Take It Easy
    • CAM Treatments

    Related to Balance

    • Quit-Smoking Assessment
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Mental Health
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Stress Management
    • More Related Topics
    • Health & Balance
    • Videos

    How Breathing Can Aid Relaxation

    Video Transcript

    Narrator: Once I'm stressed, how can I calm myself?

    Patricia Farrell, PhD: One of the greatest things that I recommend for anybody is relaxation breathing. Whoever thought a breathing exercise would be a terrific thing to do? It's very simple. You learn it in less than a minute, it might take you one minute to do, you can do it any time during the day, anywhere, it will make you feel good. You could find it anywhere. You can find it on the internet. You can find it in books. You can find it in my book. Its a very good thing to do.

    Narrator: How do I do relaxation breathing?

    Patricia Farrell, PhD: What I want you to do during this exercise, as we are breathing in, we're going to breathe in, hold a breath and breathe out through our mouths. When you do that, I want you to think about the position of your shoulders, the position of your ribs, where your legs and hands are. I want you to think about those things.

    Patricia Farrell, PhD (cont.): So we're going to begin. You breathe in through your nose, hold it for a count of five, out through your mouth. Remember, you're thinking about the position of your shoulders as they go up and down, your ribs go in and out. You're going to do that at least three times. We don't want you hyperventilating, remember, it's got to be comfortable for you. You gradually, so you do it again, alright nice and slow, very slow. Just think about the shoulders.

    Patricia Farrell, PhD (cont.): Do it 3 to 5 times. You can do it anywhere, you can out to the water cooler. If anybody hears you, they'll think you're sighing. That's okay. You can go out the elevator, go downstairs, in the elevator by yourself. You can do it. You can go to the ladies' room, the men's room, wherever you want to do it. It's so easy. You can do it at your desk. You can do it 10 times a day if that's what you feel you need. You can't overdo it as long as you don't hyperventilate and that's fine.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Get The Protein You Need
    • How Bad Habits Affect Your Health
    • How to Break Your Phone Habit
    • Yoga: Health Benefits and Safety Tips
    • Which Massage Is Best for You?
    • The Healing Power of Music

    further reading

    • How to Quiet Your Mind
    • Meditation 101
    • Meditation: Relax and Ease Stress
    • Meditation Health Benefits and Stress Reduction
    • Be Mindful to Reach Health Goals
    • Go on a Meditation Retreat
    • What's the Best Way to Meditate: In Silence or to a Chant?
    • Meditation Topics

    Today on WebMD

    woman in yoga class

    Strike a Pose

    6 health benefits of yoga.

    beautiful girl lying down of grass

    Stressed Out?

    10 relaxation techniques to try.

    couple painting room

    What Colors Your World?

    Different hues may affect your mood, diet, and more.

    woman making funny face

    What Affects Your Personality?

    Learn why you are the way you are.

    Recommended for You

    Take your medication Slideshow

    10 Health Myths Debunked

    woman cracking her knuckles Slideshow

    How Bad Habits Affect Your Health

    Hungover man Slideshow

    12 Myths About Hangovers

    Welcome mat and wellington boots Slideshow

    Clean Up the Clutter in Your Home

    fruit bowl in kitchen Slideshow

    What Your Home Says About Your Health

    Happy and sad faces Quiz

    Myths and Facts About Your Moods

    Fingertip with string tied in a bow Article

    Why Can't I Remember Anything?

    laughing family Quiz

    What Makes Us Happy?

    Tools & Resources

    • 10 Tips to Zap Stress
    • How Bad Habits Affect Your Health
    • 10 Health Myths Debunked
    • 9 Types of Yoga to Try
    • Bust Clutter in Your Home
    • Video: 5 Natural Ways to Get Happy

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Tools to Improve Health
    • The Health Data in Spit
    • Relapsing MS Options
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Weight-Loss Surgery
    • Liver Transplants Save Lives
    • HIV and Fat
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Trouble Urinating?
    • Missing Teeth?

    More from WebMD

    • Finding the Care You Need for MS
    • How to Thrive With Narcolepsy
    • Eat Better in the New Year
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Start a Home Fitness Program
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • COVID-19 & Minority Health Care
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Living Better With T2 Diabetes
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • When Ulcerative Colitis Flares
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.