Welcome to this guided coherent breathing technique.
Coherent breathing involves taking long slow breaths at a rate of about 5 per minute.
Coherent breathing,
Described as a therapeutic breath technique,
Helps to calm the body and mind through its effect on the autonomic nervous system.
It is a simple and easy way to reduce stress and induce calm when feeling anxious and is a lovely way to return you to centre.
With coherent breathing,
The goal is to extend the length of both the inhale and the exhale to around 6 seconds,
Perhaps even longer if you are practised in breath control techniques.
I will guide you today starting with a few cycles of 3 seconds,
Then a few cycles of 4 seconds,
Building to 5 seconds and peaking at 6 seconds.
You may then find you feel comfortable taking even longer breaths eventually.
The main thing is to never force the breath and to always breathe through your nose.
The nose is optimal for breathing as it warms and filters the air and releases nitrous oxide,
A vasodilator,
Which can improve oxygen circulation in our bodies.
I invite you to begin by choosing a comfortable seated position that allows you to lift your spine,
Relax your shoulders and open your chest.
This could be seated on the floor,
Cross-legged or kneeling or sat on a chair with your feet grounded on the floor.
Now close your eyes and bring your awareness to your natural breath.
Allow the inhale to flow in and the exhale to release.
Take a moment to place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.
Connect to the subtle movements in both your belly and your chest.
As you inhale,
Feeling your belly expand and your chest rise.
As you exhale,
Feel the chest relax and the belly release.
Allow your breath to flow smoothly and steadily in a rhythmic manner,
Feeling with each breath that you gain a little more control over your breath.
Now let's begin.
Take a normal inhale and a normal exhale.
And then inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
Now inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two three four exhale two three four inhale two three four exhale two three four inhale two three four exhale two three four inhale two three four exhale 2 3 4 inhale 2 3 4 exhale 2 3 4 now inhale 2 3 4 5 exhale 2 3 4 5 inhale 2 3 4 5 exhale 2 3 4 5 inhale 2 3 4 5 exhale 2 3 4 5 inhale 2 3 4 5 inhale exhale two three four five inhale two three four five exhale two three four 5,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Now,
Cease counting your breath and just let it flow naturally.
Scan through your body and see how you feel.
Any more centered,
Any more focused,
Any calmer,
Any quieter inside.
This breath is such a simple yet powerful technique that can be practiced subtly anywhere.
Try incorporating 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening and any time in between to bring a feeling of balance.
Take this sense of calm and have a wonderful day or evening.
