Calm Your Nervous System With The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Welcome to this 4-7-8 breathing meditation.

Begin by taking a comfortable position in your seat.

Place your feet flat on the floor.

Bring some length to your spine so that you're alert but still relaxed and let your head float on the top of your neck.

Bring some attention to how you're feeling,

How your body's feeling,

Whether there's any parts of you that are holding tension.

Notice your breath,

Whether you're breathing easily or perhaps whether your breath is a bit shallow and notice how you're feeling,

Whether you're relaxed or whether there's some tension there.

Letting your breath flow naturally.

If it feels right close your eyes gently or take a soft gaze on something nearby.

To utilize this technique you'll take a breath in through your nose for a count of four,

Hold it for a count of seven and then exhale through your mouth for a count of eight.

Beginning by breathing in through your nose for a count of four,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold for seven,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven and exhale through your mouth for eight,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Breathing in for four,

Hold for seven and exhale for eight and breathing in for four,

Hold for seven and exhale through your mouth for eight and breathing in through your nose for four,

Hold for seven and exhale for eight.

Now allow your breath just to slow again and take on its natural rhythm.

Nice soft easy breaths and then check in with how your body is feeling now.

Notice if there's any difference now in your body or your breath or how you're feeling.

Compared with how you felt before you did the technique today.

In using this technique you've activated your vagus nerve and the response of your parasympathetic nervous system.

So this is a technique that will take you out of your fight,

Flight or freeze response and activate your rest and digest response.

It also helps just bring you into the moment.

So if you're having a day where your mind is very busy and you could use the chance to really come into the moment.

This is a simple but effective technique to use.