Did you know that literally paying attention to your breath… is calming to your central nervous system? Well, it is! Another fun fact— making your exhale longer than your inhale is even more calming.

Perhaps you’re already in the practice of noticing your breath. Perhaps you never have. Or, perhaps you’re somewhere in between. Whatever your answer, I ask that you suspend any potential hesitation for a sec, and t-r-y to intentionally breathe.

Here’s a little roadmap:

• Get into a comfortable position (I like to sit with my back supported, or lie down. But, the most important thing is that you feel as comfortable as you can, and that you’re in a safe place to try this).
• Breathe in through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth: Breathe in a short, quick inhale (where you let the breath nourish/expand in your lungs), and breathe out slowly (work towards breathing out for 8 seconds).
• When you notice an unwanted thought, literally say to it, “no thank you” and return your attention back to your breath.

A regulating breathing variation on this is to sync breath with Scripture, a mantra, or a life truth. Let me give an example using Psalm 34:4:

I sought the Lord; he heard me. And He delivered me of all my fears.

Psalm 34:4

To sync it with breath, it’d look something like this:

• Breathe in: I sought the Lord; He heard me
• Breathe out: And, he delivered me of all my fears

Two other variations to breathing:

• Try either of the above methods while walking or climbing stairs. Sometimes aerobic activity really helps calm our brains, and allows us to be able to focus on our breathing.
• Try praying before you start. For example, God, I pray I’ll be receptive and open. Please calm my mind. Amen.

Here’s a quick sound bite of what it might sound like, where I also share about the above variations:

I’m curious what you noticed??!

Encouragement to notice your breath, if you’re under a lot of stress or if you’d just like to infuse a little peace into your day— or if you’re anywhere in between. 🙂 Never underestimate the power of paying attention to your breath. It’s one of life’s free gifts that is available to us at all moments. We just need to tap into it. May you experience a calming peace inside. Warmly, Robyn

For the list of other posts specifically written to help reduce stress, click here. Posts include pronking, light tapping, mindfulness, laughing, a grounding exercise… and many more.