Hello,
And welcome to day three of Insight Timer's breath work challenge.
Time for a deep breath.
Inhale deeply and let out a soothing sigh.
Let's dive into today's session.
Hi there.
Can you guess what Navy SEALs,
Nurses,
And yogis have in common?
Yep.
Box breathing.
Controlled,
Slow breathing is an effective means of maximizing your heart rate variability and preserving autonomic function.
Both of which have been associated with decreased mortality in pathological states and longevity in the general population.
Turns out that science is a bit late to realize the benefits of breath work.
The act of controlling breath for the purpose of restoring and enhancing health has been practiced for thousands of years in Eastern spirituality.
It has been said that we should breathe like a tortoise to live like a king.
Now I know what you're thinking.
Hold on Damien.
How is it possible that breathing can have such a profound effect?
Well,
Breath is the epicenter of human function.
The exchange of gas that's happening right now in your lungs is more immediately impactful than what you eat or drink.
It is our primary fuel,
And it affects every aspect of our physiology and our psychology.
So breath work can be a shortcut to shifting how you feel in multiple ways.
In the next few minutes,
You will be building a skill that increases ventilation efficiency.
So in the same way that exercising for 30 minutes makes everything else you do easier,
This practice will help you breathe better all day.
Okay,
So to practice box breathing or square breathing,
Imagine a box,
A four count on each side.
You'll enjoy a four count inhale,
A four count hold,
A four count exhale,
And a four count hold,
And then repeat,
Circulating for your chosen period of time.
There are only two primary aspects to focus on,
Attention and ease.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
Begin by getting comfortable.
The most common positions that work are seated with a tall spine or lying down.
If you find that you tend to doze off,
Then seated is a better choice.
Once you settle in,
Allow the eyes to close.
This is a time to begin to simplify our way of being.
So begin just by breathing in,
Noticing any aspect of your inner space,
Which is engaged with your day,
And breathing out,
Just surrendering that effort,
Allowing yourself to come home.
So balancing these two aspects,
Attention to the breathwork pattern,
And ease or relaxation is our intention.
With your next breath out,
Empty the lungs,
And breathe in,
Three,
Two,
One,
Hold,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhale,
Three,
Two,
One,
Hold,
Three,
Two,
One,
Inhale,
Three,
Two,
One,
Hold,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhale,
Three,
Two,
One,
Hold,
Three,
Two,
One,
Inhale,
Hold,
Exhale,
Hold.
That's it.
You've got it.
Keep it going.
Now,
As you get comfortable with the pattern,
Just allow yourself to become more and more effortless with it.
The inhales are smooth,
And they seamlessly lead into a hold.
The holds don't require any gripping or tension in the body.
They're soft,
Followed by smooth exhales,
Just here,
Just now.
Now,
The two holds are quite special.
Allow them to be as effortless as possible,
So there's no gripping or tension involved.
And in those holds,
Get particularly curious about the stillness that sits behind any thinking.
Just back in your spaciousness and enjoy.
Now,
Our minds,
At times,
Will wonder if that happens.
No critiques.
No annoyances.
Just bringing the attention home.
Planned bb Alright my friends,
We are nearing the end of our session.
But for these last few cycles,
Let's bring it all together.
The softness,
The stillness,
The presence,
And matching our breath to the rhythm.
Let these be your deepest cycles.
Congratulations.
Beautiful work my friend.
What you've just done would likely result in a sense of greater relaxation and ease.
These sorts of practices are known to directly affect our blood pressure all the way through to our mood.
So I hope you've enjoyed the session as much as I have.
You can find me on Insight Timer for more practices that help to smooth the edges.
Have a great day.
