Box Breathing
Today we are going to practice Box Breathing. This is a technique used by the Navy Seals to stay calm and focused in tense situations. But it is a great breath practice and very simple exercise for stress management, if we are overly distracted or need to calm the body and relax the mind. We breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 in a square formation.
If we lengthen the exhale, to a count of 6 it will initiate a parasympathetic response. Tapping in to our parasympathetic nervous system to deeply relax the body, increasing our resilience to stress, decreasing feelings of depression and increased positivity and well-being. This is an especially effective breath practice for before we go to sleep.
BREATHING EXERCISE SAFETY INFORMATION
THESE BREATHING EXERCISES ARE A GUIDE ONLY. MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND DON’T PUSH YOURSELF, PARTICULARLY IF THE BREATH PRACTICE MAKES YOU FEEL UNWELL OR LIGHT HEADED, BRING YOURSELF BACK TO NORMAL BREATHING.
