Breathe 4 In 8 Out

This meditation utilizes a steady rhythm and simple harmony to guide you through a 4:8 breathing ratio—inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 8 counts at a rate of 5 breaths per minute. By prioritizing a longer exhalation, this practice is designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you move out of stress and into a state of deep rest and digest. This technique is an effective way to lower blood pressure, ease feelings of worry, and prepare the mind and body for sleep or a moment of calm. Includes brief initial guidance to settle into the rhythm, followed by original music that maintains the pace until a natural, silent resolution.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Allison and I'll be guiding us through a breathing meditation using my voice and the music. The intention of this practice is to help bring you into a deeper state of relaxation by using longer steady exhalations and comparatively shorter inhalations. When our exhale is twice as long as our inhale, We signal to the nervous system that we are safe and we shift into a rest and digest state. In this space our heart rate naturally slows, Blood pressure may decrease, And we give our bodies a necessary pause to recover and heal. So find a comfortable position, Maybe sitting tall or lying down, And take a moment to soften your body. Release any tension in your forehead, Between your eyebrows, In your shoulders, And let your jaw go slack. For this practice we will inhale for four counts and exhale for eight counts. You might notice the music moving in an upward direction during the inhales and then flowing down during the longer exhales. You can use these musical cues to prompt each breath if you don't want to count along. So find that loose state and let's begin together. Inhale two, Three, Four, Exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. In two, Three, Four, Now I'm going to let the music take over and guide our breathing for the remainder of this practice. Continue to follow that rhythm. In two, Three, Four,