Welcome to this coherent breathing practice.
I think you'll find this practice to be very practical.
It's something that we can do anywhere in our lives.
However,
For today,
Doing this practice together,
Let's start with doing this intentionally seated on a meditation cushion or in a chair or laying down in a bed before sleep.
And once we gain the hang of it,
You can do it anywhere.
Whether you're stuck in traffic,
Waiting in line,
Walking down the street,
Preparing for some big presentation or event,
You can really apply this to any area of your life.
And the practice,
Again,
Is very straightforward.
So what we'll be doing is inhaling for about six seconds and exhaling for the same length,
About six seconds.
Research tells us that breathing at around five breaths per minute leads to the best level of balance in the nervous system.
So breathing a little slower,
A little deeper than usual,
Allows our lungs to soak up more oxygen in fewer breaths.
Blood flow to the brain increases and systems enter a state of coherence.
Hence why this is called coherent breathing,
Where the functions of heart,
Circulation,
And nervous system are all coordinated to peak efficiency.
What this means for your experience is that you will enter a state of mind that is deeply relaxed and mindfully alert at the same time.
The perfect combination of autonomic balance,
Relaxation,
And mental readiness.
This is the physiological state of not too tight,
Not too loose.
So begin with an inhale for six seconds and then exhale for six seconds.
Inhale for six seconds and exhale for six seconds.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
And keep the rhythm now along with the bell.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Continuing on for the final minute at your own pace.
If you find yourself lost in thought,
Simply noticing that and bringing yourself back to the breathing exercise.
Six-second inhale and a six-second exhale.
Bringing the practice to a close,
Letting our breath fall back into a natural rhythm.
Taking a moment to notice how we feel.
This practice is strengthening your parasympathetic rest and digest response and creates a scientifically verifiable relaxation response that can improve symptoms of anxiety disorders,
PTSD,
Trauma,
Stress related disorders,
Inflammation,
Depression,
And troubled sleep.
And again,
This is something you can do anywhere,
Anytime you think about it.
And so try to incorporate it into your daily routine.
Whenever you have a few minutes,
You can do this and nobody will even know that you're doing it.
So thank you for practicing this and I wish you luck in establishing some consistency with it.
