Welcome to this guided breath session where we will explore the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
This style of breathing has been proven to calm and soothe the nervous system,
Helping to bring about a more relaxed,
Balanced and grounded state of being.
It's an amazing and powerful breath to have in your toolbox,
Particularly at these challenging times,
And it's one that you can reach for if you feel stressed or anxious or even overwhelmed as it's going to help you to calm down in just a few minutes.
So 4-7-8 breathing simply involves inhaling through your nose for a count of four,
And then we'll hold the breath for a count of seven,
And then on the exhale you're going to make an O shape with your mouth,
And exhale very slowly and with control while making a whooshing sound as you do for a count of eight.
So I'm going to guide you through each of these counts.
And don't worry if you have trouble keeping up with it to begin with,
Just try as best as you can and you'll find you naturally fall into the rhythm of it with a bit of time.
So take a moment to relax and soften your body,
And ensure that you're sitting up nice and tall with an elongated spine.
Drop your shoulders down.
Take a deep breath in,
And then exhale all the breath out of your body.
Breathe in through your nose for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold your breath for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Good.
Exhale through your mouth making a whooshing sound for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Good.
And then come back to your natural breathing.
That was just a test round to get the hang of it.
I'm going to repeat it with a little less wording,
And we'll be doing it for a couple of minutes so you can really feel the effects of this practice.
A few extra tips when you breathe in through your nose.
You're going to want to take in as much air as possible,
Draw it right down to your belly.
When you hold the breath,
Try and relax as much as possible.
When you exhale,
Do it slowly and steadily.
Alright,
Ready?
Take a nice deep breath in.
And then exhale all the breath out of your body.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold the breath.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
And then 1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold the breath.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Keep going.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Last one.
Inhale.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Really nice.
Come back to your natural breathing.
And really tune into your body.
How do you feel?
And how about your mind?
Do you notice it feels more still?
So you can continue with this practice if you'd like to do it a bit longer.
Or if you feel like a challenge,
Try listening every day and practicing.
It's really great to do just before bed as it also helps you to unwind and get into that more relaxed state and it's going to help you to sleep more soundly and deeply too.
So thank you so much for practicing and breathing today.
Have an amazing day.
