Finding Your Way Back to Balance in a Stressed Out World

How to Slow Down Your Breath & Quiet Your Mind, the Sixteen-second Breath

A lot of depression lies in thoughts from the past—the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” thoughts. A lot of anxiety lies in thoughts of the future, the unknown or fear of what might happen. Focusing on your breath makes it so you can’t live in any moment other than the present one. And if you’re completely focused on the present, it’s going to be pretty hard to feel anxious or depressed. Breathing techniques are a great place to start when you’re having a hard time and know you need to find a way out of it. They are all quick and easy so that anyone can do them, no matter what’s happening in their lives, no matter how much stress and pressure they’re under, no matter how short they are on time. They are a great way to hijack or disrupt destructive patterns in your mind or body and reset yourself—all for doing something you already do every day, all day, but this time with just a bit more focus and intention.

If you’ve been breathing quick, shallow breaths all your life, it might take some time before these techniques start to feel right to you. But just like with playing an instrument, or anything else you’re learning to do, the more you practice, the easier it will be. And the easier it becomes, the more satisfaction you will gain from it.

This is a super easy starter that you can use in everyday life whenever you’re feeling stressed or anxious. When we are mindful of our breathing and counting our breath, we can’t be worried or stressed about anything else at the same time. A person can experience stressful feelings at any age, so it’s never too early to start learning ways to manage them.

This technique can help anyone learn how to slow down their breath and quiet their mind. It’s a sixteen-second breath, with four counts for each stroke, as follows:

1} With your mouth closed, inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4-3-2-1.

2} Hold the breath for a count of 4-3-2-1.

3} With your mouth closed, exhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4-3-2-1.

4} Hold the breath for a count of 4-3-2-1. Repeat this sixteen-second breath as many times as you want until you feel your mind and body start to settle down. When you’ve finished, you might want to ask yourself: Was I able to think about anything in the past or anything coming up in the future? The answer will almost surely be no.

Pam Butler is a certified Chopra Primordial Sound Meditation instructor, a yoga teacher and a Creative Insight Journey transformational coach. Return to Life by Pam Butler can be found at amazon.com.