Do you find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night? Or can’t fall asleep to begin with? Do you experience moments of hurry, rush and stress during your day-to-day life? Then the 4-7-8 breathing practice is your beloved friend! Want to meet him? Here it goes!
How?
- Make sure you sit up straight, but relaxed.
- Let your breath naturally flow in for 4 seconds.
- Gently hold your breath for 7 seconds when your lungs are filled.
- Slowly exhale for 8 seconds, making your lungs completely empty and letting your navel naturally pull towards the spine.
- Repeat for a couple of rounds or as long as feels right for you.
Why?
Making your exhalation twice as big as your inhalation, induces the parasympthetic part of your nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation in your body and mind. Remember: The lighter your approach is to this practice – no forcing of the breath, no ‘must do this right!’, which causes you to tense up and decrease your breathing capacity – the easier and naturally deeper your breaths will come. Embracing this relaxed vibe, ‘holding’ the breath won’t be a tensed keeping-it-in, but a gentle pause. So while not allow a smile to curl up the corners of your mouth, as you practice?
“The lighter your approach is to this practice, the easier and naturally deeper your breaths will come”
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