Breathing is a powerful tool that can help us find balance, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of calm and well-being. It is top of mind for me as my girl finishes up all the things she needs to do to graduate from high school. I have continually had to remind myself to breathe through all the ups and downs of the past few years.
💨 The Power of Breath: Breathing is something we do automatically, but taking intentional, mindful breaths can have transformative effects on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When we consciously deepen our breath, we engage the body's relaxation response, signaling to the nervous system that it's safe to rest and restore. Here are a few benefits of mindful breathing:
1️⃣ Stress Reduction: Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and helping to counteract the effects of stress. It can reduce cortisol levels, slow the heart rate, and bring a sense of calm.
2️⃣ Improved Mental Clarity: Oxygen is fuel for the brain, and taking in deep breaths helps to increase the flow of oxygen, enhancing focus, concentration, and mental clarity. It can also help alleviate brain fog and promote a sense of alertness.
3️⃣ Enhanced Emotional Well-being: Mindful breathing can help regulate emotions by bringing awareness to the present moment. It creates a space for self-reflection, allowing us to respond to challenging situations with greater clarity and emotional resilience.
4️⃣ Increased Energy: Deep breathing oxygenates the blood, revitalizing the body and providing an energy boost. It can help alleviate feelings of fatigue and restore vitality.
🌬️Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 breathing practice, also known as the "Relaxing Breath," is a simple breathing technique that aims to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It is often used as a relaxation exercise, especially in situations where you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of calm. The technique involves the following steps:
Find a comfortable seated position and relax your body.
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth. Keep your tongue in this position throughout the exercise.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of eight. As you exhale, make a whooshing sound.
This completes one breath. Now, inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
It's important to maintain the ratio of 4:7:8 (inhale:hold:exhale) throughout the exercise. The exhalation should be longer than the inhalation, which helps induce a relaxation response in the body.
Andrew Weil suggests practicing this technique twice a day, but no more than four breaths at a time when starting out. As you become more comfortable with the practice, you can gradually increase the number of breath cycles.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is believed to help regulate the autonomic nervous system and shift the body from a state of stress and anxiety to one of calm and relaxation. It can be a helpful tool for managing stress, promoting better sleep, and cultivating a sense of inner peace.
Remember, you can return to this mindful breathing practice whenever you feel overwhelmed or need a moment of tranquility throughout your day.
🌿 Breath Is a Gift: As we go about our day, let's cherish each breath as a precious gift. Let's make a conscious effort to infuse our lives with moments of mindful breathing, finding solace in the simplicity of inhaling and exhaling. Together, let's create a healthier and more harmonious relationship with our breath, nurturing our well-being from the inside out.
Here are other breathing methods:
Belly Breathing
Also called diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, this is the bread and butter of breathwork and the basis for all the following practices. Unless directed otherwise, you should always be trying to breathe into your diaphragm when practicing any breathwork technique—and even when not!
Intensity: 1/5
Good for: Resetting yourself mentally, anytime, anyplace.
How to:
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
Slowly inhale through the nose for a count of 4. Instead of breathing into your chest, make sure to draw your breath into your abdomen. (Tip: Resting a hand on your abdomen and slightly distending it can help you feel the motion—it should be just below your rib cage.)
Exhale through the nose or mouth while gently contracting your abdomen, letting the air flow out.
Repeat for the length of your practice.
Sa-Ha
This is a simple and favorite practice of breathwork expert, Robert Litman.
Intensity: 1/5
Good for: Settling comfortably into your body and allowing yourself to “being breathed.”
How to:
Slowly inhale through the nose, thinking of one long “sa” while you do so. (You can even form the word in your mouth without opening it.)
Slowly exhale through the nose or mouth, thinking of one long “ha.”
Repeat for the length of your practice.
Lion’s Breath
This energizing practice involves harnessing your inner beast and exhaling with a “roar.” Handy before a presentation or a tricky conversation.
Intensity: 2/5
Good for: Relieving tension in the body and boosting confidence.
How to:
This is one to do while sitting—so find yourself a comfortable position.
Slowly and mindfully inhale through your nose. As you inhale, open your eyes wide.
Open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue as far as you can.
Exhale forcefully through the mouth, saying a long “ha.” Draw the sound from your belly and throat.
Breathe normally for a few moments.
Repeat 4 to 6 times.
Finish by breathing deeply for 1 to 3 minutes.
Bumblebee Breath
This practice evokes the mighty buzzing of our pollinator friends to help drown out inner noise.
Intensity: 2/5
Good for: Lowering blood pressure, mitigating headaches and head tension, insomnia.
How to:
Cover your ears by placing your index fingers on the cartilage just below your cheek bones, and close your eyes.
Inhale through the nose, slowly and deeply.
Hold for a moment.
Exhale through the nose while humming like a bee—don’t be afraid to make noise! Be sure that your mouth is closed but facial muscles are relaxed.
Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Box Breathing
This technique is frequently employed by U.S. Navy SEALs as a way of improving concentration, managing stress, and enhancing overall wellness. Visualize traveling along the sides of a square while you breath.
Intensity: 2/5
Good for: Focusing, stress reduction, deactivating the fight-flight-freeze response.
How to:
Inhale for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Exhale for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Repeat 3 to 4 times or until you feel grounded.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
As one of the oldest practices on our list, there are many different variations. This is one of the simplest.
Intensity: 2.5/5
Good for: Enhancing calm, circulating energy through the body.
How to:
Bring your right hand to your nose as if to pinch the nostrils between your forefinger and thumb.
Put your thumb over the right nostril, gently plugging it.
Inhale through the left nostril.
Release the right nostril and plug the left nostril with your forefinger.
Exhale through the right nostril.
Inhale through the right nostril.
Release the left nostril, plug the right nostril, and repeat the exhalation/inhalation process, alternating between the nostrils each breath.
Repeat 2 to 3 more times, alternating between the nostrils with each breath.
Buteyko Breathing
Like alternate nostril breathing, there are a few variations to this exercise, which was created by Ukrainian physiologist Konstantin Buteyko, MD, in the 1950s. It has also been shown to alleviate the symptoms of asthma.
Intensity: 3/5
Good for: Anxiety, opening the airways, and improving blood circulation.
How to:
Breathe normally for a few minutes to relax your muscles.
Exhale slowly, and hold your breath.
Plug your nose with your thumb and forefinger and hold until you feel the urge to breathe.
Lowering the hand, inhale slowly.
Breathe through the nose as you would normally for 30 to 60 seconds.
Repeat several times.
Skull-Shining Breath
This technique is common in Kundalini yogic practices and involves a series of semi-rapid and forceful breaths propelled by the abdomen. (Pro-tip: Do this one on an empty stomach).
Intensity: 3.5/5
Good for: Warming up the body, waking up the mind.
How to:
Inhale gently through the nose, filling your lungs most (but not all) of the way.
Exhale strongly, drawing the navel into the spine and tightening the abdomen. Try to force all the breath out until you can’t anymore.
Allow lungs to refill naturally (i.e., don’t make yourself inhale—just let it happen!).
Repeat steps 2 and 3. It’s okay to start slower, taking a brief pause after your inhalation if needed, but try to speed it up when you’re familiar with the practice and you get a rhythm established.
Repeat anywhere from 10 to 50 breaths—depending on your comfort level—to complete a set. Up to three sets can be done per practice.
Stacked Breathing
Often used as a physical therapy exercise, this technique can benefit anyone and everyone. Whatever your goal—better cardio health, easier opera singing, day-to-day breathing ease—it’s highly effective.
Intensity: 4/5
Good for: Stretching the lung muscles, promoting well-oxygenated blood, improving breath control.
How to:
Inhale as you would normally, filling your lungs most of the way.
“Trap” that breath by holding it; do not exhale.
Inhale a second time, “stacking” this breath on top of the first.
Inhale, stacking for a third time—try to inhale as much as you can, and don’t exhale yet!
Hold for 2 to 3 seconds.
Slowly exhale through the nose.
Repeat 3 to 5 times.
And, as promised, here are just a few more techniques we recommend doing with a trained pro or a guide:
Rebirthing Breathwork
Also called conscious energy breathing or intuitive breathing, this technique involves taking soft, shallow breaths with no break between an inhale and an exhale. Sessions can last from 45 minutes to two hours. This technique was developed by New Age leader Leonard Orr back in the 1960s. It is a highly therapeutic form of breathwork, and, as the name suggests, is commonly used to resolve trauma surrounding birth and early childhood. Because it can be so emotionally powerful and is technically difficult (at least compared to the other practices we’ve listed here), it’s recommended that you do 10 sessions with a trained professional.
Intensity: 5/5
Good for: Processing childhood trauma, accessing repressed emotions, cathartic release.
Holotropic Breathing
Similar to rebirthing breathwork and started in the ’70s, holotropic breathing should not be practiced alone—in fact, it’s usually done in a group setting. Its founders, Christina and Stanislav Grof, took inspiration from psychedelic research, mysticism, psychology, and more to design this mode of breathing that is meant to empower the self and spur us toward positive change. The method involves taking deep, rapid breaths for up to several hours at a time, which is said to produce a “non-ordinary” state of consciousness.
Intensity: 5/5
Good for: Self-exploration and transformation, trauma resolution and inner healing, mitigating anxiety.