Longer out
Breathe out for longer than you breathe in. The simplest way to slow down.
Patternin 4 · out 6
Pace6 a minute
Try3 minutes
Ready
If you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop and breathe normally. That's all it is.
How
- Breathe in for four.
- Breathe out for six, slowly, like cooling a spoonful of soup.
- If six is too long, the out-breath only needs to be a bit longer than the in-breath.
Why it helps
The out-breath is the part linked with slowing the heart. Making it longer leans you towards the slowing side. You don't need to believe it for it to work.
Where this comes from
- Zaccaro and others (2018), How breath-control can change your life - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. A review of slow breathing studies.
More: all the breaths · What do I need?