Today we're going to be doing a slightly more advanced version of the box breathing exercise made popular by retired Navy SEAL commander and founder of SEALFIT,
Mark Devine,
Which consists of eight rounds.
If you're new to this exercise,
Build your practice with our guided four round box breathing meditation.
Today's meditation will be fully guided.
A single round will include inhaling,
Holding the breath,
Exhaling,
And then holding the breath once again,
All for four counts.
We'll repeat the exercise for a total of eight rounds.
This technique is simple,
Easy to learn,
And you can practice it anywhere and anytime.
It's a great stress management tool that works quickly to help you get focused,
Grounded,
And centered so you can avoid reactionary behavior.
The calming effect of the deep rhythmic breathing in this technique can help you find relief from anxiety,
Panic,
Fear,
Agitation,
PTSD,
Insomnia,
High blood pressure,
And so much more.
Without further ado,
Let's go ahead and get started.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with little to no distractions.
Whether you're sitting or lying down,
Make sure your spine is straight,
Allowing for air to easily flow in and out of your lungs.
You may close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
If not,
Try gazing down at the tip of your nose or focus on a fixed spot on a wall,
Floor,
Or even the palms of your hands.
Draw your shoulders down away from your ears.
Allow your face,
Eyes,
And jaw to soften and relax.
Notice the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Knowing that it's there,
See if you can allow your body to release and relax even more.
Now shift your focus to your breath.
Continue to breathe normally and naturally through your nose.
Notice without judgment or trying to change anything,
Where in your body you're breathing today.
Is your breath in your upper chest,
Middle chest,
Or lower belly?
What is the quality of your breath?
Is it fast,
Short,
And shallow,
Or long and slow?
The goal of this breathing exercise is to calm the fight or flight response,
Which triggers the body to panic,
Causing more stress and anxiety.
This will cause short,
Fast,
Shallow breathing and a pounding racing heart.
We want to activate the parasympathetic nervous system,
Which is the opposite of panic,
Stress,
And anxiety.
We want to find calm and relaxation.
Let's work on doing that now by taking long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
Filling the whole space between the belly button and collarbones.
Place one hand on your lower belly and one on your upper chest and try to breathe into the space beneath your palms.
Feel the rise and fall of your breath beneath your hands and connect more deeply to the healing energy and rhythm of your breath and body.
The slower and deeper you breathe,
The more relaxed you'll feel.
If you feel uncomfortable or find yourself feeling lightheaded or dizzy during today's exercise,
Slow your breath down or even temporarily come back to your normal breathing pattern until it passes,
Then come back to the sound of my voice and breathe as I count once again.
You might want to add a visualization to today's exercise as an anchor that can help you stay focused.
Picture a box while you're breathing.
As you inhale,
Visualize traveling up the left side of the box.
While you're holding your breath,
Move across the top of the box.
On your exhale,
Travel down the right side of the box.
While you're holding your breath again,
Move across the bottom of the box.
Repeat the pattern for each round.
We're going to begin by taking one deep breath together in order to fully empty the lungs,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
The first round of box breathing will start immediately after.
When box breathing,
We'll be inhaling and exhaling through the nose only.
Begin your inhale now.
See the lungs.
Begin your inhale now.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three four.
4,
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Exhale 3,
2,
1,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Exhale 3,
2,
1,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Exhale 3,
2,
3,
1,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Exhale 3,
2,
1,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
Exhale 3,
2,
1,
Hold 2,
3,
4.
Good.
Now return to normal breathing,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
Take a moment now to scan your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Use this time to check in with yourself,
To reflect on how you feel both physically and mentally.
This is a time for deep personal reflection.
Do you feel less stressed,
Less anxious?
Do you feel calm and relaxed?
Do you feel more focused and in control of the situation that brought you to this meditation to begin with?
Take some time to observe the shift in your thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions and sensations.
You can begin to bring some small movements back into your fingers and toes and when you're ready you can open your eyes or drift off to sleep.
You can use this exercise as a daily practice to help manage life's inevitable challenges,
Stressors and things that cause you anxiety.
Breath work and meditation in general can help you find balance.
It can help you get grounded and learn how to manage the way you react to the things that are out of your control.
This practice can improve the quality of your life as well as your overall well-being,
Emotional intelligence and awareness.
And remember,
Your breath is with you always and it's an incredibly helpful healing tool.
Breathe deep to find relief.
Let me know how this meditation went for you.
Ask me any questions you might have and let me know if there's a meditation I can make to help you manage life's daily challenges.
I'm here to help.
Take care.
