4-7-8 Breath Practice For Stress And Anxiety

Hello and welcome to Wise Puppy Meditations.

This meditation,

The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique,

Is a part of our Breathwork series.

It's one that I use all the time and is designed to support you in establishing emotional regulation,

Reducing stress and anxiety,

And aligning your mind and body.

Please note that this practice is not intended for those of you who are pregnant or have heart or respiratory issues,

As it involves holding the breath for an extended period of time.

The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique is a simple and effective relaxation exercise that involves breathing in through the nose for 4 seconds,

Holding the breath for 7 seconds,

And exhaling out of the mouth or the nose slowly for 8 seconds.

In elongating our exhales,

We activate our parasympathetic nervous system,

Which communicates to the mind and to the body that we are safe,

That we can be calm,

That we can relax into the present moment.

To prepare our bodies,

We will start with 3 balanced breaths,

Breathing in for 4 and out for 4.

We'll take a brief break,

And then we will do 10 breaths,

Inhaling through the nose for 4,

Holding for 7,

And exhaling through the nose or mouth for 8.

My encouragement is to check in with how you feel in this moment,

Prior to the practice,

And then again after we've completed it.

If at any time you notice discomfort or would like to take a break,

Please listen to your body and simply return to your normal breath.

You can always jump back into the practice.

Beginning with our 3 balanced breaths,

We'll start by exhaling everything out of our lungs.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4.

Very good.

We'll now start with the 4,

7,

8 practice.

Again,

Inhaling through the nose for 4,

Holding for 7,

Exhaling through the mouth or nose for 8.

Let's begin.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Inhale,

2,

3,

4.

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7.

Exhale,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

Very good.

We can drop the practice,

Allowing ourselves to breathe normally and naturally.

Bringing some curiosity to how we feel in this moment.

Noticing any changes in the mind or emotions in the body compared to when we started the practice.

We can bring some gratitude to ourselves for engaging in an exercise that enhances our sense of well-being in this moment.

And we can dedicate this practice.

May we be well so that we may do good for ourselves,

For humanity,

And for the planet at large.

I will see you next time.

Peace and many,

Many,

Many blessings.