Box Breathing For Nervous System Regulation

Find stillness anywhere, anytime with this simple yet powerful breathwork practice used by athletes, executives, and healers worldwide.

Box breathing — also known as four-square breathing — guides you through four equal counts of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again. This rhythmic pattern signals safety to your nervous system, bringing you out of stress and back into presence.

In this session, you will slow and regulate your breath, calm an overactive mind, restore balance between doing and being, and return to your body with intention.

Whether you are preparing for a difficult conversation, winding down after a full day, or simply choosing to pause — this practice meets you exactly where you are.

No experience necessary. Just breathe.

Transcript

Welcome, I'm Radiance, And today we're doing one of my favorites, The box breathing technique, Also known as Samavriti. Navy SEALs use this to stay calm under fire and you can use it to survive your inbox or anything else that's stressing you out. It's called box breathing because we're going to breathe in on a four count, Hold to a four count, Exhale to a four count, And then hold to a four count. Drawing a little invisible box with your hand or in your mind. Each time you hold, You're telling your nervous system that there is no emergency. You're activating your rest and digest parasympathetic nervous system. So let's try that now. Sit up nice and tall or rest where you are. And inhale to release. Three, Four. Hold. Two. Three, 4. Exhale to release. Three, For hold. Two. Three. Four. That's one round of box breathing. Let's do two more rounds. Inhale to release. Three, For Hold. To Three. Four, Exhale to release. Three, Four, Hold. Too. Three, 4. Inhale to release. Three, Four, Hold, Two. Three, Four, Exhale, Two, Three, Four. For and hold. To three, Four, Release the breath. And now you have actively lowered your cortisol. Steady, Safe nervous system. You've done a really great job. Enjoy the box breathing. I hope it serves you well.