This is Dr.
Karestan Konon,
And I'm going to lead you through a five-minute contrast breathing practice.
Contrast breathing is designed to reset the nervous system and restore calm.
I find it especially useful after an acutely stressful situation when I really need a reset before moving on to the next thing,
But this practice can be used any time of day or even at night if you wake up and you need a reset.
In order to start,
Let's just get comfortable,
And you can do this practice lying down or sitting in a chair or sitting on the floor.
The only thing that's important is that you're comfortable and that your spine is straight.
You can close your eyes or look softly in front of you.
The first practice we're going to start with is the physiological sigh.
The physiological sigh is a natural breathing pattern that humans and even babies and animals use to reset the body during stress or after crying.
The physiological sigh starts with a big inhale through the nose,
A second inhale through the nose to make sure your lungs are filled to the top,
Followed by a long,
Relaxed exhale through the mouth.
So let's do it together.
Inhale through your nose,
Filling up your lungs.
Fill up the remaining space with a second tiny inhale,
And make your exhale through your mouth as long as you can and press down on your belly.
Inhale through your nose,
Filling up your lungs,
Filling up the remaining space with a second tiny inhale,
Exhale as long as you can and press down with your belly.
Inhale through your nose,
Filling up your lungs,
Fill up the remaining space with a second tiny inhale,
Make your exhale as long as you can and press down with your belly.
Keep going.
You're doing great.
As you continue on,
You may start to feel lightheaded.
That's okay,
It just means things are shifting in your brain.
At some point those shifts will quiet down your overthinking.
Your hands may feel tingly or numb,
That's perfectly safe.
Let the breaths wash through your mind,
Washing away the thoughts.
Keep going.
You're doing great.
The physiological sigh does three things.
By inhaling through your nose,
You're not just taking in oxygen,
Your nasal passages release a gas called nitric oxide,
Which helps dilate blood vessels in your lungs,
Which means oxygen can move into your body more efficiently.
The second shorter inhale expands tiny air sacs in your lungs,
Which clears out trapped carbon dioxide,
Which builds up when we're anxious and just breathing.
Finally,
The third long exhale releases that excess carbon dioxide and activates your relaxation response,
Which slows the heart rate and calms the nervous system,
Helps you feel more settled.
One final round.
After your next exhale,
Inhale through your nose all the way to the top,
Then exhale 75% of your air and hold.
This breath hold is safe and you are safe.
This breath hold is very calming for your nervous system and you have plenty of oxygen to support your breath retention.
Notice how clear your mind is becoming and let it clear.
Discomfort is just carbon dioxide building,
Which is harmless and will help relax your muscles.
Release the breath hold,
Take a slow,
Deep breath in and let it go.
Notice how you feel.
Next,
We're going to do resonant breathing.
Resonant breathing is simply breathing in to a count of four slowly through your nose and then breathing out to a count of six through the nose.
So get comfortable and we'll do this together.
So let's start.
Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathe out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhaling gently through your nose,
Three,
Four.
Exhaling slowly through your nose for a count of four,
Five,
Six.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Keep going.
If your mind wanders or you lose count,
Just gently start again.
I'll keep speaking while you breathe.
The slow,
Steady breathing allows carbon dioxide levels in your blood to rise slightly.
This signals the blood vessels in the brain to dilate,
Which improves circulation and oxygen delivery to brain cells.
This better oxygen flow supports clearer thinking,
Sharper focus and steadier decision making.
Slow breathing shifts the nervous system away from fight or flight into rest or restore,
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure.
Over time,
The practice builds resilience,
Helps you maintain calm or recover more quickly in high stress situations.
Now I'm going to be silent and let you continue resonant breathing for 15 more seconds on your own,
And I will let you know when to return to your normal breath.
Release the resonant breathing and go back to your normal breathing.
And notice how you feel.
You have just completed a version of the contrast breathing practice we are studying at Massachusetts General Hospital in helping people recover from trauma and improve performance in high demand situations.
You can use these practices together in sequence,
As I did today,
Or try them individually.
I encourage you to experiment.
And the more you use these practices,
The more they will become familiar tools that will help improve the way you show up in your daily life.
