Check out this video blog with another mindful breathing practice: the “pausing as you exhale” breath. I enjoy teaching this breath for a couple of reasons. First of all, there are steps to follow as you’re breathing, and the steps help keep you anchored mindfully in the current moment. As I talk about often, there’s now a lot of research showing a multitude of ways we can benefit from practicing mindfulness. The second reason I like this breath is that it involves extending the exhalation. Extending the length of our exhalations actually shifts the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in our bodies, and this shift encourages our nervous system to calm down.
I encourage you to play around with this breath practice. It can be a gentle, mindful way to soothe yourself throughout the day.
Happy breathing!
Dr. Jen
