2-Minute Breathwork To Manage Reactivity And Stress

This breathwork practice has been scientifically studied and proven to reduce stress quickly and relax you in real time. Give it a listen and then practice taking 3 of these Cyclic Sighs when in the heat of the moment.

Cyclic Sigh, also called Physiological Sigh, is an instinctive breathing practice that occurs when we're sleeping to dispel CO2 from the body. You will also notice dogs demonstrating this double inhale breath, as well children (or adults) while sobbing. The second quick inhale allows the inflation of alveoli in the lungs and increased oxygen intake, while the exhale discards the carbon dioxide all at once.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is London and I will be guiding you through this breath work.

This practice is something that you can use in the moment,

In real time,

Whenever you are feeling stressed,

Overwhelmed,

Reactive.

Use this breath to bring your nervous system back into balance,

To lower your stress,

And to lower your heart rate.

Come to a comfortable position in which your spine is at its longest.

Slightly dip your chin lengthening through the back of your neck.

Take a deep breath in,

And then a quick inhale through your nose,

And then slowly let that air escape through your mouth.

Deep breath in,

Quick short inhale,

Long exhale.

Deep breath in,

Quick breath in,

Long breath out.

Do this three times.

When we are stressed,

Carbon dioxide builds up in our bloodstream.

This cyclic sighing breath work is effective in relaxation and stress reduction because the second quick breath inflates all of those tiny balloons in your lungs,

Increasing the amount of oxygen within your lungs,

And therefore the overall amount of carbon dioxide that we can offload.

So come back to this breath every time you feel stressed or reactive.

Practice this and it will become second nature over time.

Namaste.

Reviews

Very nice. Quick and to the point! Thanks

This was very helpful to help me calm down after being reactive.