Grounding Sighing Practice For When You Need Soothing

This short grounding exercise is called cyclic sighing and the emphasis here really is on the sighing,

It's the extended exhalation out through the mouth which helps to calm our nervous system,

Helps us to feel more relaxed and that makes this particular breath work a nice practice to do when you're feeling a little anxious or wound up or overwhelmed.

You can do this practice standing,

Sitting or even lying down,

I'm just choosing whichever option is available to you right now.

And to start we're placing one hand on the lower belly and one hand on the chest.

As you inhale letting the hand on the belly expand,

As you continue the inhalation letting the hand on the chest expand and then exhaling completely out through the mouth.

Inhaling through the nose letting the belly expand,

Letting the chest expand and then exhaling completely out through the mouth.

So we'll begin the practice now which moves in a similar way to what we've just done.

What we're going to begin with is an inhalation for a couple of counts into the belly followed by a short pause,

We'll then continue the inhalation to the chest followed by another short pause and then a long exhalation through a sigh out of the mouth.

So let's begin to practice together,

You can leave the hands with one on the belly and one on the chest or you can allow the hands to relax.

Inhaling into the belly,

Pause,

Inhale into the chest,

Pause,

Exhale out the mouth.

Inhale belly,

Pause,

Inhale chest,

Pause,

Exhale mouth.

Inhale belly,

Pause,

Inhale chest,

Pause,

Exhale mouth.

Inhale belly,

Pause,

Inhale chest,

Pause,

Exhale mouth.

And now just continuing for a few rounds at your own pace,

You'll continue to inhale into the belly,

Pause,

Inhale into the chest,

Pause and then exhale completely out through the mouth for a little longer than the combined inhalation.

And just taking one more round and allowing the breath to return to normal,

Letting everything relax and just taking a moment to check in with yourself and noticing if anything has shifted for you in the body,

In the mind or perhaps emotionally.

Whenever you're ready you can move the fingers and the toes,

Perhaps take a nice big stretch and return to your day.