4-7-8 breathing
If you feel dizzy, hear ringing in your ears or start feeling anxious, stop and breathe the way you normally do. Safety and limits
Headphones make this easier 🎧.
Sit or lie down comfortably. Four cycles are enough — no more than that.
Where to focus: breathe with the belly and turn your attention inward. That is where, during the hold, a sense of inner support appears — lean on that.
How to breathe: a preparatory exhale through the mouth — inhale through the nose for 4 — hold for 7 — exhale for 8, as if blowing gently through barely parted lips. Keep the tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth, against the palate.
Don't force the hold. If 7 is too long for now, shorten every number and keep the proportion.
When to skip it
- discomfort with breath holds
- a tendency to panic
- marked breathlessness
- pregnancy
- cardiovascular conditions
- lung conditions
Preparing the practice…