Slows heart rate
Within 60 seconds of extended exhales, your parasympathetic system takes the wheel. Heart rate and blood pressure drop.
Your breath is the only part of the nervous system you can steer consciously. Slow it, and everything else follows. Pick a pattern below and follow the circle.
Equal parts in, hold, out, hold. Used by Navy SEALs and ER doctors to stay calm under pressure. Best for focus and stress reset.
Slow exhales activate the vagus nerve, which tells your heart to slow and your body to stand down. No magic — just biology you already have.
Within 60 seconds of extended exhales, your parasympathetic system takes the wheel. Heart rate and blood pressure drop.
Counting breaths gives the worry-loop something else to do. You're not suppressing thought — you're re-directing it.
Two minutes is enough to shift state. You don't need a meditation practice or an app subscription. Just a chair and 120 seconds.
Interview, difficult conversation, presentation. Equal counts keep you alert but steady. Four rounds is usually enough.
The long exhale and hold deeply relax the body. Do it lying down — many people drift off before finishing four cycles.
Five-in, five-out syncs heart rate variability beautifully. Ten minutes a day has documented effects on anxiety.
When the exhale is longer than the inhale, it's the fastest way to dial down a panicky body. Do it anywhere.
Luna, our mindfulness mentor, can help you sit with whatever comes up.
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