A yoga class at Palisades Park in Pacific Beach. (File photo by Thomas Melville/Times of San Diego) Have you ever been advised to take deep breaths to calm down in moments of panic, stress or anxiety?

Polyvagal and neurovisceral integration theories favor slow over fast breathing due to its activation of the parasympathetic nervous system and accompanying effects on the mind and brain. Recent ...

It’s hard to relax when times are uncertain, world events move at an unsettling speed and news headlines are grim. All that stress takes a toll on the body, especially the heart. Mental health experts ...

Slow-breathing exercises are game-changing tools to help reduce stress and anxiety. A recent research study has found that even a single session of five minutes of deep and slow breathing lowers ...

For some people, deep breathing exercises work like a charm. For others, not so much. If you fall into the latter category, you might enjoy the “five-finger breathing” technique, which adds a little ...

Slower breathing can reduce anxiety and fear, while increasing the ability to reason. In the long run, adopting habits to ...

Have you ever noticed how anxiety feels entirely physical? Your heart races, your chest tightens, and your mind spins at a ...

If you get panic attacks, it's important to have tools - whether therapy techniques, such as breathing exercises, or medication - you can use to help prevent one from striking or feel better quicker ...

Focusing on your breath can help keep you in the present moment and avoid a wandering mind. Try box, 4-7-8, diaphragmatic, or mindfulness breathing during your next manic episode. Breathing is vital ...