4-6-8 Breathing Technique
To get the most from this exercise, start in a quiet, private location where you can sit, recline, or lie down in a relaxed position. As you inhale, push out your belly so that your stomach expands, not your chest. Try that once right now.
As you breathe (in and out through your nose), lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and hold it there for the entire exercise. This enhances relaxation. Also, be mindful of drawing in or expelling a high volume of air, as this will cause your lungs to reach capacity (or run out of air) too quickly.
Try the complete exercise in one minute
Let’s begin. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and…
inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
You are done—breathe normally. Compare your stress/ relaxation level to how you felt one minute ago.
You can practice 4-6-8 Breathing whenever you feel especially stressed, or right before an event that you anticipate might be stressful (e.g. a meeting with a difficult person). Once you have mastered the technique, you can do it almost anywhere, as long as you are not exerting yourself or talking. Consider practicing 2-3 times a day for regular maintenance, to reduce your overall stress level. However, try not to exceed four sessions a day, and practice no more frequently than every two hours. Using this technique too often can cause you to become excessively relaxed, cause blood pressure to drop too low, or diminish its effectiveness.
To get the most from this exercise, start in a quiet, private location where you can sit, recline, or lie down in a relaxed position. As you inhale, push out your belly so that your stomach expands, not your chest. Try that once right now.
As you breathe (in and out through your nose), lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and hold it there for the entire exercise. This enhances relaxation. Also, be mindful of drawing in or expelling a high volume of air, as this will cause your lungs to reach capacity (or run out of air) too quickly.
Try the complete exercise in one minute
Let’s begin. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and…
inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and inhale, 2, 3, 4 and hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
You are done—breathe normally. Compare your stress/ relaxation level to how you felt one minute ago.
You can practice 4-6-8 Breathing whenever you feel especially stressed, or right before an event that you anticipate might be stressful (e.g. a meeting with a difficult person). Once you have mastered the technique, you can do it almost anywhere, as long as you are not exerting yourself or talking. Consider practicing 2-3 times a day for regular maintenance, to reduce your overall stress level. However, try not to exceed four sessions a day, and practice no more frequently than every two hours. Using this technique too often can cause you to become excessively relaxed, cause blood pressure to drop too low, or diminish its effectiveness.