This short breathing practice can be used anytime,
Particularly in times of high stress or anxiety,
As a way to regulate the nervous system gradually out of fight-or-flight sympathetic activation and into a parasympathetic state of rest and safety.
And so beginning by intentionally releasing the muscles of the body,
Softening the eyebrows and eyelids,
Unclenching the jaw,
Allowing the tongue to drop down from the roof of the mouth,
Slightly parting the teeth,
Dropping the shoulders,
Softening the belly,
And briefly scanning the rest of the body,
Noticing if there are any other areas of holding or tightness or tension,
And intentionally softening and releasing those areas,
Like applying heat to sore muscles.
And now placing attention at the tip of the nose or edge of the lips and sensing the breath at these areas,
Sensing the coolness of the inhalation,
Warmth of the exhalation,
And on the next inhalation breathing in while softly whispering in the mind to the count of three.
And as you reach the count of three,
Either slightly pursing the lips or slightly tightening the throat as you slowly breathe out to the count of six.
And again,
Breathing in to the count of three,
Slowly breathing out to the count of six.
And one more,
Breathing in to the count of three,
Slowly breathing out to the count of six.
Now allowing breath to flow rhythmically as it naturally does,
And gently releasing attention from this practice.
This is a breath practice that can be done anytime,
Remembering that as humans we take approximately 20,
000 breaths in a day.
And by simply attending to breath in this way,
We have the power to begin to modulate states of stress or anxiety.
