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我们每时每刻都在下意识地自主呼吸。但你可曾想过，有意识地控制呼吸，其实对我们的心理健康大有裨益？“Breathing（呼吸）” 虽然看似简单，但它对身心的潜在影响正在让越来越多的科学家为之着迷。在阅读本文的同时，不妨跟随文中的指引，一起体验由易到难的 “breathwork（呼吸法）” 技巧。给自己五分钟，尝试用呼吸法去缓解一整天学习和工作带来的疲惫和压力吧。

词汇：breathwork 呼吸法

1 Whether you've reached work or study burnout, you're going through relationship dramas, or you just feel weighed down by life in general, stress is something that's difficult to avoid. If only there were an easy and free way to alleviate it. Luckily, there is! Breathwork. Breathing is the first and last thing we do on this planet, and it's the simplest way we can alleviate stress and anxiety both immediately and long-term, when done properly. So, how can we reap the benefits?

2 It's about slowing down. "We all tend to hyperventilate, breathing too fast and not very effectively," says David Spiegel, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University in the US. One way to make our breathing more intentional is a technique called 'cyclic sighing', with a focus on prolongedexhalation. Begin with a deep inhale through your nose. Just when you think you're done, take a short, sharp breath to fully fill the lungs. Then, let out a slow and extended sigh to completely empty your lungs. A 2023 study published in PubMed by Spiegel and colleagues found that just five minutes a day of cyclic sighing improved mood and lowered anxiety.

3 For a more advanced method, try 'coherent breathing'. To do this, you want to find a comfortable position, with one hand on your belly, and the other on your chest. Inhale through your nose for about six seconds, making the hand on your belly rise by engaging your diaphragm. Then exhale for the same duration. The key is to keep your breath smooth and continuous. "Imagine your breath as a slow tide coming in and going out," says Guy Fincham, who leads a breathwork research lab at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK. The A52 breath method is similar, except at the end of the exhalation, you hold your breath for a couple of seconds before breathing in again.

4 Slowing down our breathing works because it relaxes the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the body's 'rest-and-digest' functions. This calms the body. So, whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, remember that you have this easy and instant stress-reliever in your toolkit.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 _______
Paragraph 2 _______
Paragraph 3 _______
Paragraph 4 _______

a. A solution to a problem
b. Filling and emptying your lungs
c. Why it works
d. Breathwork for pregnant women
e. A wave-like breathing method
f. The long-term benefits of breathwork

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. What does 'there is' refer to in the following sentence in paragraph 1? But there is!
a. an easy and free way to alleviate stress
b. breathwork
c. stress

2. Why does the writer describe breathing as 'the first and last thing we do on this planet'?
a. to suggest people breathe incorrectly
b. to show that breathing is important but often ignored
c. to explain how the lungs work

3. For breathwork to be effective, it takes up a lot of time.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. The A52 breath method requires you to breathe while standing up.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

5. How does slowing down our breathing make us feel less stressed, according to the article?
a. It makes us pause what we're doing for a short period.
b. More oxygen in the body has a calming effect.
c. It calms the body's stress response and activates its rest functions.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

We all know how to breath – we do it to survive. But how can we make sure we 1) _______ of something that comes so naturally? We want to avoid 2) _______ by pausing to take a deep breath in, followed by a 3) _______ exhalation. So, next time you're suffering with 4) _______, try breathwork to 5) _______ the stress.

hyperventilating
alleviate
burnout
tide
prolonged
reap the benefits
diaphragm

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

burnout 精疲力竭，倦怠
weighed down 身负重压的，被压得喘不过气
alleviate 减轻，缓解
reap the benefits 收获益处
hyperventilate 过度换气，呼吸过速
sigh 叹气，叹息
prolonged 延长很久的，拉长的
exhalation 呼气，吐气
inhale 吸气，吸入
diaphragm 胸隔膜
tide 潮水
hold your breath 屏住气息
sympathetic nervous system 交感神经系统
parasympathetic nervous system 副交感神经系统
overwhelmed 不堪重负，不知所措

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 a) A solution to a problem
Paragraph 2 b) Filling and emptying your lungs
Paragraph 3 e) A wave-like breathing method
Paragraph 4 c) Why it works

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. a. 'There is' refers to the previous sentence, 'If only there were an easy and free way to alleviate it'.

2. b. Breathing is something we do for our entire lives and is important for survival, but the implication is that we do not harness its potential for stress relief.

3. b. False.A 2023 study published in PubMed by Spiegel and colleagues found that just five minutes a day of cyclic sighing improved mood and lowered anxiety.

4. c. Not given. It is not specified in which position the A52 breath method should be done.

5. c.Slowing down our breathing works because it relaxes the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the body's 'rest-and-digest' functions.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

We all know how to breath – we do it to survive. But how can we make sure we reap the benefits of something that comes so naturally? We want to avoid hyperventilating by pausing to take a deep breath in, followed by a prolonged exhalation. So, next time you're suffering with burnout, try breathwork to alleviate the stress.