Hello.
I'm Dr.
Linda Friedland,
And this is a resonance breathing practice to help balance your cortisol.
Cortisol is often called the stress hormone.
But I like to think of it as our adaptation hormone.
Produced by our adrenal glands Cortisol helps us wake up in the morning.
Gives us energy when we need it.
And helps us respond to life's challenges.
The problem isn't too high cortisol.
The problem is losing this balance.
The goal is not to keep lowering your cortisol.
It's having the right cortisol at the right time.
Rising in the morning like an internal sunrise,
Then gradually settling at night so we can rest and recover.
Resonance breathing is a powerful breath work practice that slows your breathing to about six breaths a minute.
With five seconds in.
And five seconds breathing out.
At this pace,
Your breathing and your heart rhythm fall into step.
And your vagus nerve.
The calming branch of your nervous system.
Becomes more active.
A calmer nervous system helps your stress response settle.
And cortisol is part of that system.
For the best benefits,
Practice this breath work every day for 30 days.
And your body will become better tuned to settling your cortisol and your total body balance.
Use it at any time you may feel your stress building.
Or to wind down in the evening.
If you feel light-headed at any point.
Simply return to your normal breathing.
Let's begin.
Find a position.
That's comfortable for you.
You can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Or lie back.
On the floor.
With a pillow under your knees and under your neck.
Lie on your bed.
Relax on a couch.
But let yourself be fully supported.
If you're sitting,
Allow your spine to be tall.
But easy.
If you're lying down.
Let the floor or the bed take your weight.
Rest your hands wherever they feel comfortable.
Let your eyes gently close.
Or rest your gaze softly on a spot in front of you.
You can adjust your position at any time to find ultimate comfort.
Take a natural breath in through your nose.
And let it go with a slow out-breath.
Once more.
Take a breath in.
Through your nose.
And sigh it out.
Alongside.
Another natural breath in through your nose.
And let it go slowly.
Out your mouth and your nose.
Feel where your body meets the chair or the bed.
And let those places begin to soften.
Soften your forehead.
Let your jaw loosen.
Relax your face.
Allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears.
And feel the relaxation.
Through your chest.
And let your belly be soft.
For this moment,
Simply notice your breath.
Exactly as it is.
Feel the breath and the relaxation move through your hips,
Down the front of your legs,
The back of your legs.
Your shins.
Your calves,
Your ankles,
Your feet.
And continue to breathe slowly through your nose and out through your mouth.
Feel the relaxation.
Relax those shoulders again,
Moving them down from your ears.
And feel the relaxation down your arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Into your fingers.
And drop your hands into your lap.
Rondo Billy.
Now let's begin to find the rhythm.
Breathing gently through your nose.
Letting the breath reach your lower ribs and belly.
And breathe out.
Now count with me.
In for the count of 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
And out softly 2,
3,
4,
5.
In 2,
3,
4,
5 And out 2,
3,
4,
5 Continue to do that.
And know in resonance breathing,
You do not need to stop at the top of the inspiration to hold it.
Nor at the end.
It's a continuous flow,
So let's continue.
For in 2,
3,
4,
5.
Out 2,
3,
4,
5.
One more in 3 4 5 and out 2 3 4 5 What matters now.
.
.
Is that the breath is smooth and comfortable.
With no strain and no holding.
If you feel a little dizzy,
Just breathe regularly for a few seconds.
Without counting.
In and out.
In.
Breath and out,
Breath.
And now let's go back to the resonance.
That aligns your heart and your lungs.
Heart rate and your breathing.
In for the count of five.
2,
3,
4,
5.
Art 2345 In 2,
3,
4,
5 out two three four five Now let the counting go quiet.
Carry on at your own pace.
Which is probably settled into about five seconds in.
And five seconds out.
And I will check in from time to time.
Let the breath be smooth and continuous with no pause at the top and none at the bottom.
One breath flows into the next.
As you breathe,
You may notice the rhythm has a feeling of its own.
A slow rising and falling.
Allow it to remind you of a wave.
Focus.
On the image of a wave.
Rolling in.
As you breathe in.
The wave gathers and draws back.
As you breathe out,
It rolls gently forward.
As you breathe in,
The wave draws back.
As you breathe out.
It rolls gently forwards towards you.
Let that picture grow a little.
You're sitting at the edge of a quiet shore.
The light is soft and the air is cool and clean.
In the wave gathers,
Out it rolls forward and spreads across the sand.
In 2,
3,
4,
5 out 2,
3,
4,
5.
If your mind has wandered,
That's normal.
And noticing is part of this practice.
Come back to the wave,
In.
2,
3,
4,
5 Out.
4,
5.
Listen to the sound of it soft and steady.
You may notice your heartbeat quickens slightly.
As the wave draws in.
And slowly as it rolls out.
That's your heart and your breath working together.
With each wave that rolls out,
Let your shoulders soften a little more,
Then your jaw,
Then your hands,
Then your legs.
Each long out-breath tells your body it's safe to settle.
Each wave carries a little of the day's tension out with it.
Just let it go with the water.
In the water gathers,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out.
Let's go.
Now let the picture soften.
And let the breath carry on by itself at the slow,
Even pace.
Slowly.
Allow your breathing to return to its own natural rhythm.
Your cortisol level has settled beautifully just where it needs to be now.
Calm.
Your vagus nerve has relaxed your body.
Notice how you feel now.
Compared with when we began.
Perhaps your shoulders,
Your jaw.
Your body.
Is looser.
Your mind a little quieter.
Move your fingers and your toes.
And when you are ready.
Take a deep breath in.
And stretch as you breathe out.
Come back to this practice often.
Daily if you can.
Each time your body moves.
And your cortisol level.
Gets a little better at settling.
And balancing.
You have restored your balance and allowed yourself to recover.
Take your time before you gently open your eyes.
Take this restfulness with you into the rest of your day.
