The late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote,
Breathing in,
I calm my body and mind.
Breathing out,
I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is the only way.
Breathing is something we do 20,
000 times per day,
Often without even thinking twice about it.
Even in times of stress,
Our breath automatically responds by shortening and speeding up.
How we breathe directly influences our emotional state.
So by consciously regulating the breath,
We can hijack our mood.
Mindful,
Conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system,
Which is responsible for rest and digest,
Which can then signal the relaxation response,
Slowing down the heart and stimulating the vagus nerves.
Through breath control,
We learn how to regulate the sympathetic nervous system from a state of fight or flight to a state of calm.
Breathing techniques like four,
Seven,
Eight breath can play a huge role in activating the parasympathetic nervous system and helping you to shift back towards tranquility.
This technique is very powerful in helping the body relax and should be repeated twice per day.
It is recommended that you practice the four,
Seven,
Eight breathing technique for four breath cycles when you're first starting out.
Then you can gradually work your way to eight full breaths after a few weeks.
Prepare for your practice by resting the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth,
Right behind the top front teeth.
Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and the head inclined slightly forward and gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Inhale through your nose as you silently count to four,
Then hold your breath for a count of seven.
Let your lips part and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight while making a whooshing sound.
Okay,
Now let's begin our practice together.
Inhale,
Four,
Three,
Two,
Hold,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Three,
Two.
Exhale,
Eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Inhale,
Four,
Three,
Two,
Hold,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Exhale,
Eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Inhale,
Four,
Three,
Two,
Hold,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Exhale,
Eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Final round,
Inhale,
Four,
Three,
Two,
Hold,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Two.
Exhale,
Eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Release the count and take a few minutes to sit in stillness,
Noticing how you feel,
Noticing your body,
Your mind,
Being aware of any sensations,
Noticing the sense of calm,
Relaxation.
And now let's take one final breath in together.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhale through the nose or practice,
Breathe in through the nose,
Belly rise.
Stop and pause at the top,
Perhaps even smile.
Slow breath out through the nose.
Slowly,
Slowly back into your body.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Loosening your neck,
Maybe have a stretch.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
I hope that you're feeling calm.
Taking the time to open up your breath.
