Anxiety and distraction can compromise your quality of life. The more you can focus on the present moment, the more satisfied you may be. A breathing necklace for anxiety and mindfulness is a simple tool that can help you achieve that goal.
What Is a Breathing Necklace?
Resembling a small metal straw, a breathing necklace is a hollow pendant that hangs from a chain around your neck. Because of its convenient location, you can easily reach for a breathing necklace when you need a moment of calm and peace in your life.
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How Does It Work?
To get the benefits of a breathing necklace, you simply take a deep breath and then exhale into the pendant's tube. You'll repeat the process a few times before returning to a normal breathing pattern.
The minutes you spend breathing into your necklace can help you feel less tense and anxious. Your muscles may relax, and your thoughts may be clearer.
Of course, if you are already adept at breathing mindfully — and you make time in your busy day to regularly engage in the practice — you may not need this tool. However, if you could use some gentle help with becoming a more mindful breather, then an anxiety breathing necklace could be for you.
Where Did Breathing Necklaces Come From?
Breathing necklaces seem to be a modern invention, but they have their roots in days of old. During the 1600s, Japanese monks, the komusō, blew air into bamboo flutes to help them achieve a state of zen.
Today's anxiety breathing whistles transform this ancient wisdom into a portable, wearable flute that you can always have with you.
Do Breathing Necklaces Work?
Generally speaking, yes. According to Harvard Health Publishing, deep breathing is good for your body. It does a better job of allowing for a full oxygen exchange than shallow breaths can.
Shallow breathing contributes to feelings of anxiety and tension, but deep breathing can do the opposite. Breath practices can be one of the secrets to achieving a lower-stress life. Reducing your stress level could lower your risk of heart disease, boost your immune system, and improve your mental health.
Of course, regularly taking deep breaths doesn't come naturally to most people. Harvard Health suggests that tools and techniques can aid in the process. That's where a mindful breathing necklace could come into play for you.
Breathing Necklaces vs Anxiety Necklaces
The terms "breathing necklace" and "anxiety necklace" are often used interchangeably. But breathing necklaces are a type of anxiety necklaces.
There are other types of anxiety necklaces on the market. For example, diffuser necklaces and chewable pendants help some people relieve tension. For that reason, they, too, could be considered anxiety necklaces.
Breathing Necklaces vs Anxiety Whistles
If you're using your mindful breathing necklace properly, it shouldn't make a whistling sound. Even still, this type of jewelry does resemble a whistle. Therefore, a breathing necklace is sometimes marketed as an anxiety whistle.
While anxiety whistles are whistles, not necklaces.
How to Choose a Breathing Necklace?
Today, there are a variety of breathing necklaces for anxiety and mindfulness on the market. You can shop for one that meets your preferences for price and aesthetics.
1. Material: Stainless Steel or Wood
One key thing to consider is the material from which your pendant is made. Most breathing necklaces are metal. The best versions are made of stainless steel. You won't have to worry about them rusting or corroding.
You can choose one with a silver, gold, or rose gold finish, and there may be other options available to you as well. Consider a shade that will match the other jewelry that you commonly wear.
If you don't want a metal necklace, look for a wooden one instead.
2. Size: The Narrower the Tube, the Slower the Breath
Most breathing pendants are a couple of inches long. The interior diameter can vary a decent amount, though. For example, some are 0.15 in., and others are 0.3 in. The narrower tubes may slow your breathing more than the wider ones.
3. Price: $30 Will Do Because of Affordable Materials
You can easily spend $100 or more on a mindful breathing necklace, but you don't have to do so since most are made of medical-grade stainless steel, which is quite an affordable material.
While $30 may not get you a name-brand mindful breathing necklace, an affordable piece of jewelry can still be a useful addition to your life.
4. Technology: Some Comes With an App
If you're serious about using a mindfulness breathing necklace to improve your state of mind and lower your anxiety, then you may want to keep track of your breathing sessions. A necklace with an accompanying app can help you do so.
How to Use a Breathing Necklace?
Whether you are more interested in a breathing necklace for anxiety or mindfulness, the general technique is the same.- Breathe in deeply through your nose.
- Lift the whistle to your mouth and place your lips around the tube.
- Focus on relaxing your muscles and releasing tension.
- Exhale slowly for 8 to 10 seconds. Any sound produced should be low in tone. If you hear a high whistle, then you are pushing air out instead of exhaling naturally.
- Remove the breathing necklace from your lips, inhale through your nose, and exhale through the tube again.
- Repeat the entire process for a total of five cycles.
If your main goal is to use this as a mindful breathing exercise, then a cycle of five inhalations and exhalations may be sufficient for grounding you in the present moment.
When you are using the necklace for anxiety, you may need to keep going until you feel calmer, even if that means engaging in more than five repetitions.
On Which Occasions Do You Use a Breathing Necklace?
You can use a breathing necklace on multiple occasions where mindful practices are needed. It is useful during meditation sessions, yoga classes, qigong sessions, or whenever you feel anxious or stressed.
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