Hey there and welcome to your slow wellness practice.
My name is Melissa,
Founder of the Slow Wellness Club and I'm so glad you're here to slow down with me.
Today we're going to explore one of my favorite breath practices.
It is one of the most effective breath practices that I've come across in all my exploration of the nervous system and self-regulation.
Next time you're feeling anxious,
Stressed,
Or overwhelmed,
You might try this practice which was first researched in 2017 and then made popular by Dr.
Andrew Huberman of the Huberman Lab who says that it is the fastest way to calm your nervous system in real time and I can definitely vouch for that.
This is also a really great breath practice that I use to help me wind down and prepare for sleep,
Stay grounded and present in the transitional moments of my day.
I've also used it to prepare for public speaking or anything that is slightly nerve-wracking or anxiety-inducing in nature.
So I invite you to revisit this practice whenever any of those moments arise where you feel yourself needing a sense of slowness,
Calmness,
And self-regulation.
The breath pattern we're going to explore today is known as the physiological or somatic sighing breath.
This breathing technique has been studied and researched but it's actually based on a natural breathing reflex of our body and our nervous system.
This is where the modern science and the ancient wisdom collide but I would argue this is where our inherent somatic wisdom shines.
The most primal example I can give you is if you've ever experienced a cathartic deep ugly cry or you've had to unfortunately witness an infant or a young child really expressing and emoting sadness or grief,
There is a natural reflex that happens from our lungs from our nervous system when we're in the throes of sorrow and sadness.
At the end of our wailing or sobbing or extended cry,
You might notice a short series of inhale breaths.
It looks like we're trying to catch our breath in between sobs or wails.
That series of breath is then often followed by either the next round of sobbing,
Wailing,
Or crying,
Or we begin to down regulate and it usually releases as a cathartic sigh.
This unconscious way of breathing where we're trying to catch our breath followed by a deeply cathartic and somatic release is the limbic system of the brain,
Particularly the amygdala,
Helping us to reduce emotional reactivity and interrupt our spirals of grief or anxiety or whatever might be triggering this emotional reaction.
So while science and research really back up this technique,
I also want to highlight the fact that unconsciously this is something that your body naturally defaults to doing in an attempt to help you self-regulate.
When used with intention in the way that I am about to guide you through,
This breath work pattern becomes a tool in your self-regulation and slow wellness toolkit to help stimulate the down regulation of your nervous system so that you can enter a calmer state.
Tap into this breath practice wherever you are.
There's no formal posture or arrangements that you need to make in order to practice.
Let's begin.
Take an inhale through your nose and though you may not feel as though you can take in any additional air,
Take a second smaller inhale to really fill up your lungs.
Follow this second inhale by a long and steady exhale out through the mouth.
Soften your jaw,
Part your lips,
And if you can,
Start to slowly relax your shoulders.
Again,
Through the nose,
Inhale.
Inhale a little more.
Long and steady exhale out the mouth.
Again,
Inhale.
Inhale a little more.
Through the mouth,
Exhale.
See if you can extend that exhale breath a little more.
Inhale through the nose.
Through the nose again.
Through the mouth,
Exhale for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Through the nose,
Inhale.
Fill up a little more.
Inhale again.
Through the mouth,
Exhale.
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Through the nose,
Breathe in.
Through the nose,
Breathe in a little more.
Through the mouth,
Long and steady exhale.
Through the nose,
Inhale.
Through the nose,
Inhale more.
Through the mouth,
Exhale.
Two to three times on your own here.
Allow your next inhale to flow naturally through the nose.
Breathe in.
Let it go through the mouth.
You can continue with this inhale through the nose,
Exhale through the mouth,
Or you can breathe in and out through the nose.
One more time.
Deep inhale.
Long and steady exhale.
And then just allow the breath to be as it is.
Maybe keeping your attention tethered to your breath,
Being mindful of your inhales and exhales just for the next few moments.
If you're able to take some time here,
Allow yourself to just sit with the breath a little bit longer and then as you feel ready,
Returning to your day,
The task before you,
Or I invite you to take some time to rest here.
A reminder to revisit this practice not only in emergencies,
In those SOS moments,
But as a part of your transitional practice from moment to moment,
Between tasks,
Transitioning from wake to sleep,
Or whenever you need a moment to slow down and self-regulate.
Be well.
