Exhale for calm
There is a lot of turmoil in the world right now, and that usually leads to internal turmoil as well. The past few years we’ve seen more of an emphasis on self-care, and that is especially critical in this time. I know for me personally, I cannot continue to think logically and rationally, process my emotions and feelings, and take action, without finding time to ground and center myself, and I don’t think I’m alone in this.
One of the strategies I find most helpful, and that I recommend frequently to clients, is to do some exhalation-based breathing. Breath work is especially important right now to keep our respiratory systems healthy, but breathing focusing on the exhale helps to increase vagus nerve stimulation and calm our bodies’ fight-or-flight responses. Try these steps:
Take a normal exhale to start.
Inhale for a certain number of seconds (4 is a good starting point), using the time to take a full inhale.
Exhale for a longer number of seconds (6 is a good starting point, but work towards twice the length of the inhale), using the entire time for a full exhale.
Repeat for 4 cycles to begin, continuing for as long as you’d like if you feel good and the breathing is relaxing. If at some point the timing becomes challenging, stop. You may need to adjust the time for the inhale and/or exhale when you first start working with this. Just remember to keep the exhale longer than the inhale.
The goal is to end this exercise feeling more calm, centered, and grounded. I hope it’s helpful!
I always incorporate this breathing pattern in my movement classes — join me this week (Monday at 2:00pm, Thursday at 12:00pm).