Breathing For Anxious Moments

A short breathing session for when your body starts to panic before your mind even catches up. Whether you're heading into something stressful, sitting in a waiting room, or just feeling that low hum of tension in the background, this practice gives you one simple tool to bring your nervous system back to calm.

No experience needed. You can use this anywhere.

Transcript

Hello and welcome. In this session we are going to work with one simple breathing technique that you can use anytime anxiety shows up in your body, Whether you are already in the middle of a stressful situation or your mind is piling down with a what-if hypothetical situation. All you need right now is a few minutes and your breath. So let's begin. Start by letting your body settle wherever you are right now, You don't need to change position, Just let it be a little heavier, A little bit more supported. Close your eyes or let your gaze soften downwards. Let's begin with three nice clearing breaths, Inhaling through the nose and a heavy exhale out, Inhaling and out. One last time, Deep inhale, Hold it for a moment and let it go. Feel where your body is making contact with something right now, It can be the seat underneath you, Your feet on the floor, Your hands resting perhaps on your laps and let the contact be something you actually feel. You are here now and that's enough, Allow the breath to flow in and out effortlessly. You might have come to this session feeling fine, Just curious, Or you might have arrived here with something already sitting in your chest, A tightness, Restlessness, That feeling like something is slightly off and you are not quite sure why. Maybe the breath is already a little short, A little high up in the chest, Well that's okay, This is exactly what we are here for. So now we are not going to fight it, We are just going to send it a message, A very clear message that says I am okay, We are okay and you can stand down, You can relax because everything is fine and the breath is the fastest way to do it. So here is what we are going to do, It's one breath, Repeat it slowly, Inhale through the nose long and steady and then exhale through the mouth with your lips slightly pursed like you are blowing air through a thin straw, Slow and controlled and let the exhale be longer than the inhale. So let's do it together, Inhale through the nose and let the belly soften, 2, 3, 4 and exhale through the mouth slowly like the air is finding its own way out, 3, 4, 5, 6 and again inhale through the nose, Nice and easy, Let it come all the way in and exhale through the mouth, Slow a little longer and let it run all the way to the end and stay with that for a moment. The long exhale is the signal, The part that tells your nervous system to slow down, So bring your full attention in your exhale, Inhale and come a little bit more closer to your center and exhale slowly, Notice how your body gets just a little heavier each time, A little bit more subtle, Inhale and on this exhale see if you can let your shoulders drop, Inhale and relax your belly as well with the next exhale out, Keep going at your own pace now, The same rhythm in through the nose and long slow out through the mouth, Last couple of breaths like this and then let go completely of the breath and notice what happens, The breath is probably lower and slower now, A little bit less urgent and the mind perhaps a little bit less noisy, You just gave your nervous system accurate information through the body, Through your breath and it responded and it always does when you know how to speak its language, I want you to take one last intentional breath here in through the nose, Slow and full and a long exhale out through the mouth and let the breath return to its natural rhythm and sit here for a moment before you move, I want to leave you with the last message that you don't need a quiet room, A quiet space to use this practice, You can do it in a waiting room, In a hospital chair, In the middle of a difficult conversation or when you're driving or anywhere your body starts sending those signals, Remember inhale and a long exhale through the mouth, I hope it helps.