Less Stress, More Breath

Breathing is more than just a physical act—it is a gateway to transformation. This practice explores how mindful breathing activates the brain’s natural reward system, fostering healing, resilience, and inner balance. Grounded in neuroscience, we’ll dive into how breath, helps to restore emotional regulation and reduce stress.

Through intentional breathwork, you’ll learn to reset your nervous system, break free from external dependencies, and cultivate a deep sense of peace. Each inhale is a moment of renewal, and each exhale a release of tension—guiding you toward clarity, connection, and lasting well-being.

Transcript

Welcome everyone, Let's begin by finding a position that feels natural and comfortable for you. If it feels right, It is right. Let your spine be straight, Yet relaxed. Create a posture that allows you to feel grounded and at ease. So if you haven't already, Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. So let's start with some grounding breaths together. Allow yourself to settle fully into this moment. So with me, Take a slow natural breath in through your nose, No need to force it, Just let it flow easily. Now exhale through your mouth, Smooth and steady. Notice how it feels. Okay, Breathe in again through your nose, Slow and easy, Feeling yourself as much as you feel comfortable. That's it, Feel, Feel, Feel. And then exhale slowly through your mouth, Long and controlled. Release any tension, That's it, Excellent. Okay, One last deep breath in through your nose, Steady and deliberate, Feeling yourself completely, That's it. And as you exhale through your mouth, Slow and steady, Feel yourself settling fully into the here and now. The evolution of breathing. Breathing through the ages. Breath has long been valued across cultures as a powerful tool for connection and healing. Today, We'll explore its journey through history, Looking at its spiritual and scientific development, While including practices to help you embrace its meaning. The spiritual bridge, Body and spirit. In many traditions, Breath is seen as the link between the physical and the spiritual. It brings inner stillness and encourages a connection with something greater. Let's practice this now, As I guide you. So breathe in deeply, Feeling the life force within you, And exhale gently, Releasing what no longer serves you. Okay, Breathe in deeply, Feel the life force within you, And exhale gently. Release, Keep releasing what no longer serves you. So breathe, And embrace your connection to body and spirit. Yoga and prana, The flow of energy. In yoga, Breath or prana, The life force, Is the energy that flows through us. Breathing with awareness, Clears energy blocks, Balances the mind and body, And connects us to the universe. Let me guide you in a simple practice. So, Inhale deeply through your nose, Imagining energy filling your body, That's it, Energy filling your body, And exhale gently, Very gently. Let go of anything heavy or stuck, Just let it go. Okay, Inhale deeply through your nose, Managing energy filling your body, Oh there is energy filling you right up, And exhale gently, Very very gently. Let go of anything heavy, Stuck, Just let it go. So breathe, And let go of negative energy. The breath of life. In many spiritual traditions, Breath is seen as life itself, For example, In Christian teachings, The word spirit shares its roots with breath, Latin, Spiritus. Mindful breathing can become an act of prayer, Reconnecting us to something greater. So let's practice this together. So with me, Inhale deeply, Deeply, Deeply, And as you do, Embrace the gift of life, And then exhale slowly, Feeling connected to something greater. Okay, And again, Inhale deeply, Deeply, Deeply, Embracing the gift of life as you do, And exhale slowly, Ever so slowly, Just let it all out, Feeling connected to something greater. Breathe, And feel at one with all. Breathing practices through time. In 1851, N. C. Paul studied how yogic breathing balances carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body. This bridged the gap between ancient practices and modern science. So as you breathe naturally, Let me explain the practice. Breathe in steadily for four counts, Hold for a brief moment, And exhale slowly for six counts, Extending the release. So now let me guide you. So with me, Breathe in steadily for four counts, Hold for a brief moment, Now exhale slowly for six counts, Extending that release. Five, Six, Okay, And again, Breathe in steadily for four counts, Hold for a brief moment, Now exhale slowly for six counts, Extending, Keep extending the release, That's it, Let it all out, And six. Let's do this one more time. So breathe in steadily for four counts, Three, Four, Hold for a brief moment, And exhale slowly for six counts, Ever so slowly, Extending that release. Excellent, Excellent. So now feel the balance in your body. In the 1930s, K. T. Benenon studied yogic practices and highlighted a structured breathing technique designed to promote relaxation and mental clarity. This method, Rooted in yogic traditions and adapted by Benon, Is a timeless tool for achieving balance and relaxation. So as you remain relaxed, And you focus on the natural rhythm of the breath, Let me explain the practice. So it'll be inhale through the nose, Hold, Exhale through the nose, Pause, And with each breath, Notice your growing stillness and mental clarity. So before I guide you, Just know counts of four, Counts of six, It really doesn't matter, It's the practice that matters. So if you reach a count of two, That's okay, It really is. Also, Anyone with trouble breathing through the nose, Just gently move to the mouth. Same technique, Following my guide, But through the mouth. So let's begin. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, Allowing your diaphragm to expand fully, That's it, Three, Four, Hold the breath, Feel the stillness within you, That's it, And exhale slowly through your nose for a count of six, Releasing tension with the breath, Release that tension, That's it, And pause briefly after the exhale, And just notice the calm that follows. Okay, Let's do that again. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, Allowing your diaphragm to expand fully, Fully, That's it, Fill it right up, And that's four. So hold the breath generally for a count of four, Feel the stillness within, Feel it, And that's it, Exhale slowly through your nose for a count of six, Release the tension with the breath, So exhale, So five, Six, And then pause. It's the calm that follows. You know what, Let's just do that one more time, Come on. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, Allowing your diaphragm to expand fully, Fully, Fully, That's it, Fully, Hold the breath, Gently for a count of four, If you can, That's it, Feeling the stillness within, And then exhale slowly through your nose for a count of six, Releasing tension with the breath, That's it, As it goes, And now pause, And now let's just notice the calm that follows. Okay, Excellent, Return to the natural breath. You will now be breathing and being aware. So in the 1970s, Dr. Benson discovered how breathing activates the body's natural calming system. His relaxation response reduces stress and promotes well-being. So as you continue to breathe naturally, Just relax, Let me explain the practice. So you should start to be feeling really relaxed now, And start to imagine every muscle just gently easing, And as you do, Wheeling it out deeply through your nose, And exhale slowly through your mouth, But with each exhale, Silent repeat soothing words like peace, Calm, I am at one, Whatever words you choose. So you'll inhale deeply through your nose, And as you exhale, Say your soothing words, Not mine, Yours. Mine will be peace, So I'll, And on that exhale, I silently said peace. So let's practice this together. Okay, Inhale deeply through your nose, That's it, Deeply, And exhale slowly through your mouth, And on the exhale, Silent repeat your soothing words, And really believe it, Really believe that word as you release it out with the exhale. Excellent, So let's do that again. Inhale deeply through your nose, That's it, As much as you can, And then exhale slowly through your mouth, Ever so slowly, But release, Calm and assured, And saying your soothing word. That feels good, Huh? Let's just do that one more time. So inhale deeply through your nose, Deep, Deep, Deep, As deep as you can, But as you feel comfortable, And as you exhale slowly through your mouth, Repeat that soothing word in yourself, Silent repeat, Really, Really mean it. So just do a couple on your own now. Inhale, Exhale slowly, Soothing word, And really mean it, And as you do, Feel the wave of relaxation flowing through your body with each breath. So let's do that one more time, Huh, And feel that relaxation flowing through your body with each breath. So inhale deeply through your nose, And exhale slowly through your mouth, Silent repeat, And that soothing word, And really mean that soothing word. Excellent, Okay, Just rest, Just calm, Gently breathe. In the 2000s, Doctors Patricia Gerberg and Richard Brown expanded this work, Showing how breathing boosts key brain chemicals, Dopamine, Serotonin, And GABA. So as you continue to breathe naturally, Let me explain the practice. So it'll be inhale through your nose for five counts, And exhale through your nose for five counts, And just gently repeat, But focusing on the rhythm and flow, And you'll start to gently notice how this pattern calms and centers you. So let's practice this together as I guide you. So inhale through your nose for five, Three, Four, Five, Exhale through your nose for five, Three, Four, Five, Notice the rhythm and flow, Okay, Inhale through your nose for five, Three, Four, Five, Exhale through your nose for five, Three, Four, Five, Notice the rhythm and flow gently, Gently, And inhale through your nose for five, Excellent, Exhale through your nose for five, Just try this for a couple more on your own, And really try notice that gentle pattern of calming and centering. Okay, Excellent, Okay, Just gently breathe, Just breathe naturally, Just let it flow, Let it flow. Cyclic sign, Based on the natural physiological sign, Humans perform throughout the day, Has been scientifically shown to reduce stress and improve mood. Research published in 2023 by Dr. Andrew Hoberman highlights how this deliberate breathing reshapes brain function and calms the nervous system. Cyclic sign works by activating the rest and digest system, Calming your fire or flight response, And lowering heart rate. So once again, Continue to breathe just naturally, And allow me to explain the practice. So it's a three stage, First stage, Inhale deeply through your nose, Filling to about 8% of your lungs, Don't worry about the percentages, It's just a guide, And then take a second smaller inhale, To really fully expand your lungs, And three, Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth. So let me just explain that again, One, Inhale deeply through your nose, Filling about 80% of your lungs, But once again 70%, 60%, Doesn't really matter, It's the practice, And two, Take a second small inhale on top of the first inhale, To fully expand your lungs, And then gently, Gently, Exhale slowly, And completely through your mouth. So let's try this together with me, Let me guide you. So, Inhale deeply, That's it, Pause, Take a smaller breath in, To really fill in that smaller breath on top of that, Fill it, And then exhale slowly, Letting it all out, That's it. Okay, Now again, Inhale deeply, About 80% pause, Take a smaller breath in on top, And now really fill up as much as you can, And then exhale slowly, That's it, Slowly, Slowly, Letting it all out, Smooth, Gently, Just let it out. Let's do one more together, Come on, It's going so well. Inhale deeply through your nose, Remember filling about 80% of your lungs, That's it, And then pause, Take a second small inhale to fully, Fully expand your lungs, That's it, That's it, And let's fill up, And then exhale slowly, And completely through your mouth, That's it. Now just try this on your own for a couple more breaths. Notice how the long, Slow exhale, Naturally relaxes your body and mind. Okay, I'll guide you with one more, Come on, So inhale deeply through your nose, About 80% of your lungs, And then a second small inhale to fully expand your lungs, That's it, And then exhale slowly, Slowly, Completely through your mouth, That's it, And feel the relaxation to your body and mind, That's it. Closing reflection, Okay, As we close, Carry this truth with you. Every breath is an act of healing, Growth, And connection. So let's take one final breath together, We've done so well today, Let's just take one breath together, And really feel this. So inhale deeply through the mouth, Now anywhere you want, That's it, And welcoming peace and gratitude, And as you exhale slowly, Release any tension, And embracing calm. Now let's do one final one together, Inhale deeply, Welcoming peace and gratitude, And as you do exhale slowly, And embrace the calm. Thank you for sharing this journey, Together we move forward, One mindful breath at a time.