A simple meditation technique using the breath.
Bringing awareness to your breath helps calm your nervous system. A calm nervous system benefits sleep, stress, and overall well-being.
Meditation techniques that use the breath are easily accessible. Your body is always breathing. Simply bringing your awareness to your breath and consciously slowing it down is a technique that can be used no matter where you are or what you are doing.
It can feel incredibly powerful to become aware of the tools you have within yourself to calm and choose how you respond to both external and internal circumstances in life.
This practice is called box breath because the breathing pattern takes place in four, and the breath is used for a count of four, just like a square with four sides.
Breath in for a count of four
Hold for a count of four
Breath out for a count of four
Hold for a count of four
Breath in for a count of four
Repeat as many times as feels good.
This practice can be used when feeling overwhelmed, struggling to fall asleep, needing a break, or building a consistent meditation practice.
This practice is also a great one to teach your children as they learn to self-regulate their emotions.
I use the box breath when I feel anger arise at home or in the classroom. It allows me to calm, refocus, and choose how to respond.
If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments.
More soon,
AJ
