Hi friends,
At the end of my last newsletter I promised I would share a breathing technique that Navy Seals and first responders use in stressful situations to remain alert and calm.
*Drumroll please* I present to you… Box Breathing 🟩
What is Box Breathing?
Box Breathing is one of the most simple breathing patterns, which makes it so versatile and easy to do. You don’t need to be in the middle combat or an emergency situation to use it; you can use it in everyday situations like public speaking, when you encounter a crazy driver, or even when your toddler pounces on your last nerve.
The benefits of Box Breathing:
Box Breathing uses a slow breathing pace that promotes deep breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of our nervous system responsible for rest-and-digest)
It helps you focus on your breath by counting, which in turn shifts your mind away from the emotional or stressful situation
When performing Box Breathing you breathe from your belly, which stimulates the vagus nerve (the main nerve of your parasympathetic nervous system that controls your digestion, heart rate, and immune system) and brings you back to rest-and-digest. Why is this so important? Well, when we’re in a stressful or emergency situation we breathe from our chest, which triggers our body’s fight-or-flight mode. Our fight-or-flight mode is evolutionarily helpful in surviving threatening situations (i.e. being chased by a lion); however, when our fight-or-flight mode is inappropriately or frequently activated, we can begin to experience anxiety or panic disorders. What’s interesting is that all sorts of everyday situations can trigger this: the 24/7 news cycle, global pandemics, alerts and notifications on your phone that you feel you need to answer asap (text messages, work emails, etc.), true crime shows… the list goes on
Bottom line: Box Breathing is an easy and effective tool for activating our parasympathetic nervous system in an over-stimulated, over-activated fight-or-flight world.
So, how do you do it?
Box Breathing is simple:
💛 Inhale for a count of 4
💛 Hold your breath for a count of 4
💛 Exhale for a count of 4
💛 Hold your breath for a count of 4
Repeat for as little as two rounds (30 seconds) or as long as 10 minutes, or until you feel a sense of calmness throughout your body. And if you find that 4 counts is too long, you can decrease it to 3 counts or even 2 counts.
Headspace has a wonderful animation you can follow if you find it helpful (click on the photo and it will take you to the video):
Helpful tips for Box Breathing:
Breathe through your belly. You can place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest to help guide you
Breathe through your nose
Focus on inhaling slowly, not deeply
A few ways I use Box Breathing:
To calm my nerves before an important call
In the car, to bring attention and awareness to my breath
When I feel myself losing patience with a loved one 🙃
It’s amazing how powerful our breath can be, right? There are so many breathing patterns and techniques to learn to help with relaxation, sleep, clearing energetic blocks, decreasing blood pressure, increase circulation, increase your focus, and more. Let me know if learning more about breathwork is something you’re interested in and I can share more in future newsletters.
Alison