Today I’ll share with you a little strategy that can help bring all of your present moment awareness to the experience of the breath and willfully initiate the parasympathetic nervous system (i.e., the relaxation system as opposed to the body’s fight-or-flight system). Likely some of you are familiar with and may already use this technique, so today’s post might just be a reminder to put it into practice. It goes like this:

Breathe in for 4 seconds…

Hold the breath for 7 seconds…

Breathe out for 8 seconds…

Repeat as you like.

You might try it now (it will only take 19 well-used seconds of your day). You can adjust/customize it to your taste. For example, you might breathe in through the nostrils filling up the diaphragm for 4 seconds, then hold the breath in the diaphragm/stomach area for 7 seconds, then breathe out through the mouth for 8 seconds and let every last ounce of the breath go before you start again. You might even go for longer than the suggested time (or shorter at first if it just feels too long).

Use this at any moment to jumpstart the body’s relaxation system, maybe just for fun, or maybe when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, afraid, or generally overwhelmed. You might even use this to help you let go of the labels that describe these feelings (e.g., “stress,” “anxiety,” “panic”) and bring you into a state of simply feeling what you’re feeling only right now and letting whatever it is be okay.

In thru nose 4
-
Hold 7
-
Out thru mouth 8
-
(Repeat)

***On a final note, I’ve added an option at the end of these blog posts for you to make a small contribution if you’d like. Please only do so if you feel moved to, and know that your donation goes directly toward helping me continue to provide affordable individual guidance as well as create new content, such as this blog, in the name of increased well-being and reduced psychological suffering. One particular project I’m currently working on is a book that encapsulates my psychological, philosophical, and spiritual perspective on getting to know oneself deeply and getting out of one’s own way. If you’re so inclined, your contribution would support these efforts and would be greatly appreciated (click the button below to donate). Thank you for being here!