Hi,
And welcome to day five of the mindful minute.
This is Laura.
Today we're going to talk about the 4-8 breath.
Now,
This breath is contraindicated for people who have significant breathing problems,
Uncontrolled blood pressure,
Glaucoma,
Or pregnancy.
So if any of those things apply,
This breath practice is not recommended for you.
Go ahead and find a comfortable seat.
You can turn your gaze downward and begin with just a few full deep breaths on your own.
On your next breath,
You'll inhale to a count of four and exhale slowly to a count of eight.
Breathing in through your nose,
Exhaling through your nose or mouth if it's more comfortable.
Breathing in to four,
Breathing out to eight.
This breath helps lower our heart rate and calm our nervous system.
It can help reduce anxiety and some feelings of stress.
Inhaling to four,
Exhaling to eight.
As you continue this breath practice,
You can work your way up to inhaling to 10 and exhaling to 20.
But please don't continue this practice if you're having any discomfort or if it's contraindicated.
You can start with a few minutes of this practice.
Feel free to continue and enjoy.