You know that feeling when you start to think things are getting on top of you? Whether you’re sat in traffic, waiting in the supermarket queue, your to-do list is too long, too many emails or your kids just won’t sleep/stop bickering? We’ve all been there. This is a great little breath practice that you can do anywhere, that helps soothe the spiralling mind and therefore calms the nervous system, reminding you that you’re not actually about to fight/flight but just being present with what is happening right now.
All you need to do is:
- Notice the sensation of breath touching the inside of the nostrils/top lip
- On your next inhale, count for a count of 5
- On your next exhale, count for a count of 5.
- Repeat 5 – 10x (or as long as you like).
That’s it. The counting distracts/tricks your brain into thinking you are “doing something” and the idea is that it enables you to stay with the practice. This practice of inhaling and exhaling for a count of 5 is called resonance breath and science tells us that this the most soothing breath practice we can do. Give it a try and see how it works out for you. It’s also a great one to teach kids.
If you want to extend this as a practice, you could become aware of the ground beneath your feet – noticing how you’re supported – and place a hand on the chest and belly – noticing how the breath and heartrate changes as you breathe in this way.