09:33

Box Breathing To Reduce Stress And Increase Focus

by Amy Littlefield

Rated
4.7
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
1.2k

Breathwork or pranayama is a powerful tool to help regulate our nervous system, calm our mind and bring us into the present moment. Take a break during the busy day for a guilded box breathing meditation. Refocusing your mind, relaxing your body and finishing energized and ready for what's next.

BreathworkBreathingStressFocusMindfulnessThoughtsDetachmentBeginnerRelaxationEnergyPranayamaMeditationBox BreathingPresent Moment AwarenessThought ObservationDetachment From ThoughtsBreath ControlMindfulness Based InterventionBeginner MindsetBody MovementsBreathing AwarenessPostures

Transcript

Welcome.

To begin,

Give yourself a moment to move and shake through your body,

Releasing any tension,

Any antsiness,

Any stagnant energy.

As you feel ready,

Come into a comfortable seated position and take a slow,

Deep breath.

Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Breathe deeply and fully.

Let yourself lengthen your spine as you inhale,

Sitting up tall.

Let yourself relax as you exhale.

Your shoulders move away from your ears.

Become as still as you can and begin to breathe in and out through your nose.

Slowly inhale your breath for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Hold the breath for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Exhale the breath for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

And hold the breath for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Continue inhaling for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Hold for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Exhale for three,

Two,

One.

And hold for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Deepening your breath now,

Inhale for five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Hold for five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Exhale five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

And hold for five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

One more time.

Let's inhale now for six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Hold gently for six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Exhale completely six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

And be still for six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Continue breathing slowly and deeply.

The inhales and the exhales in equal lengths.

Breathing in and breathing out through your nose.

Bring awareness to your thoughts and notice the direction your mind is taking.

Don't change anything or label your thoughts as positive or negative.

Let your mind go where it does.

Experience your thoughts with patience and with acceptance for what is.

Taking a slow deep breath in and a gentle exhale out.

In this present moment,

Notice what you are thinking about.

Return your focus to your breath and begin to let your thoughts drift away.

Understanding thoughts are always there.

Our minds will always be working.

Yet you can choose to detach yourself from your thoughts versus letting your thoughts consume you.

Listen more to your breath.

Witness your thoughts without attachment.

And just as easily as they can come into your mind,

They can be released.

Turning to your breath,

Inhale slowly and deeply.

Allow the breath to come into your nose and move freely throughout the entire body.

Exhale fully and release tension in the body.

Release the need to control what is happening to control your thoughts.

Taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

Recognize with the beginner's mind what is happening right now as you sit here in the present moment.

Pay attention to your breath.

Notice how your body is feeling and how it is reacting in this moment.

Be fully in the here and now.

If the mind drifts to the past or to the future,

Pause and refocus with a slow deep inhale and a slow deep exhale.

Give yourself permission to be here.

Breathe fully and be an unbiased observer of your mind.

If you feel anything begin to consume you and take you away from your breath or out of the present moment,

Understand that is okay and will happen.

Just gently return to your breathing.

When your mind seems to take over or be too much,

Return to your breath.

Simply say to yourself and to your thoughts,

Noted.

Try not to attach yourself to any particular thought.

Just allow yourself to note something is in your head.

Gently move on from noting the thought and return to your breath.

Taking a deep breath in and a full exhale out.

Inhale being fully present in the here and now.

Exhale being fully present in the here and now.

Breathe in for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Hold for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Exhale for three,

Two,

One.

Hold for three,

Two,

One.

Inhale for three,

Two,

One.

Hold for three,

Two,

One.

Exhale for three,

Two,

One.

And hold for four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Steady your breath,

Breathing in and out through your nose.

Take a nice deep inhale.

Exhale,

Release it out of your mouth.

Taking your biggest breath of the day in through the nose and out through the mouth.

As you are ready,

Slowly open your eyes,

Ending your meditation and returning to your day with more mindfulness and intention.

Meet your Teacher

Amy LittlefieldBarnstable County, MA, USA

4.7 (86)

Recent Reviews

Crow

April 14, 2025

Very centering meditation! Thanks!

Louisa

September 22, 2023

Great intro to box breathing I had Never done that before. Thanks for counting too.

Pita

March 31, 2023

Very nice. Just a tip: a little heads up before starting to count would be nice. Thank you for a nice meditation!

More from Amy Littlefield

Loading...

Related Meditations

Loading...

Related Teachers

Loading...
© 2026 Amy Littlefield. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

How can we help?

Sleep better
Reduce stress or anxiety
Meditation
Spirituality
Something else