Hello and welcome to this short breath practice.
This is a simple practice that I do often to help calm the nervous system.
I love this breath if I am feeling anxious or worried about something.
If I'm sitting waiting for an interview or to have a talk that feels uncomfortable,
You can do this anywhere.
You can do this while you're driving or on the subway.
You can do this at any point.
You're sitting beside the ocean.
Anytime you just need a little bit of settling,
A little bit of grounding.
It's super simple and I'll guide us through a few rounds and then you're welcome to continue on your own after that if that feels like it's well in your body.
And the breath I'm going to offer,
I'll tell you where we're going first and then we'll go together.
So it'll be an inhale for four seconds and then a slight pause at the top.
If the pause doesn't feel good,
You can skip it altogether.
And then as you exhale,
It'll be a five second exhale and we'll stick with that timing.
But if you do like this breath and you feel like you could take it a little bit further,
You're welcome to add on the timing to that.
The idea having the shorter inhale and a longer exhale,
When you have a longer exhale,
It allows your nervous system to settle,
To soften.
It tells your body you are safe to relax.
And so when you're ready,
We'll start by emptying all the air from our lungs and then we'll inhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And pause.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And pause.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And pause.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And pause.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Last one.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Then you can either stay with that breath if it feels well,
Or you can let your breath fall back to its natural rhythm where it wants to land.
It's coming back into the breath,
Back into the body.
You might even do a quick little check of the body and notice if there's anything that is holding on with more effort than you need to be using.
So whether it's opening a door or maybe the way you're gripping the steering wheel,
Could you soften up just a little bit?
You can let a layer of something go.
This is a practice I come back to often of doing a little scan and seeing where I'm exerting more effort than is necessary,
And can I allow myself to yield to soften.
The jaw is a big one for me that can always be softer.
Thank you so much.
Feel free to practice this anytime throughout the day,
Even if you just do three rounds of it,
Just coming back to the breath.
Very simple but impactful practice,
And I hope you enjoy.
Thank you so much.
