Start in a quiet place.
Take a few deep breaths. Many have heard these words or even spoken them when upset, with the hope that they hold some magic to a calmer state. In truth, they do. Breathing deeply slows both the circulatory and nervous system, it reduces stress, brings more much-needed oxygen to every cell in the body, all of which contributes to health and longevity. Essentially, it calms us down in the moment with health benefits and carry over into the future.
Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably without interruptions. You need to have proper posture to breath deeply, otherwise your breath will get stuck. Push your sit-bones into the floor or chair, creating more length in your spine. Create a straight downward line from the ears to the shoulders to the hips.
Begin a long slow breath in through your nose. As you breath in, continue to push through your sit-bones to lengthen the body. Feel the chest and rib cage expand. Finally, try do draw your breath into the lower back. Ideally, your inhale should take at least four seconds, increasing as you become more practiced at deep breathing.
Pause for a moment totally full, noticing the complete stillness of your breath.
Exhale through your nose, trying to match the length of your inhale. As you slowly let the air out, feel the abdominal muscles contract, pulling back toward the spine. Keeping good posture, feel the body relax with the exhale.
Pause another moment, felling the stillness of your empty breath.
Begin your next breath, and repeat over and over.
