The Long Exhale: Calm The Cortisol From Tech Anxiety

When was the last time your breath finished all the way out? Floods of noise, streams of images, and clips of soundbites keep the nervous system braced, and the exhale short. In this 5-minute practice, psychotherapist, author, and meditation teacher Shannon Algeo guides you through ten long, slow exhales, in through the nose and out through the mouth, resting in the pause at the bottom of each breath and finding your way back to optimal arousal, neither wired nor shut down. Lengthening the exhale engages the parasympathetic nervous system, the body's own counterbalance to stress arousal, and, practiced regularly, supports healthier cortisol regulation. Return whenever the scroll leaves you wired: the long exhale is available to you in any moment.