Breathe Better, Be Better: Unlock Calm with Box Breathing

Welcome back to Mindful Moments. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here today. Thursday mornings can feel like someone's already wound you up like a spring before you've even had your coffee, right? I'm guessing if you're tuning in around this time, your to-do list might be doing laps around your brain. So today, we're going to dial down that mental chatter and find some actual stillness. You've got this.

Let's start by finding a comfortable seat, wherever you are right now. Maybe that's a cozy chair, maybe it's the floor, maybe you're sneaking five minutes away from everything. Wherever feels good. And if you need to, go ahead and close your eyes. No pressure though. Some of us feel safer with them gently open. There's no wrong way to do this.

Now, let's take a moment to just notice what's happening in your body. Notice your feet on the ground, your back against whatever's supporting you. There's no fixing anything right now. We're just noticing.

Here's what we're going to do together. It's called the Box Breathing technique, and honestly, it's like hitting a reset button for your nervous system. Picture a square in your mind as we move through this. We're going to breathe into each side of that box, nice and equal.

Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four. Feel your belly expand like you're filling a balloon with calm. One, two, three, four. Hold that breath for four counts. Just sit with it. Don't force anything. One, two, three, four. Now exhale through your mouth for four counts, releasing whatever you don't need. One, two, three, four. And pause for four counts. One, two, three, four.

Let's do that again. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four. Pause, two, three, four. One more time, really sinking into it. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four. Pause, two, three, four.

Beautiful. Now let's do three more rounds at your own pace, matching your breath to that square, but without counting out loud. Just feel it.

When you're ready, gently wiggle your fingers and toes. If your eyes were closed, let them flutter open. Notice how you feel. Maybe slightly more spacious. That calm you just created? You can return to it anytime today. Box breathing takes ninety seconds. You can do it in your car, at your desk, before a big meeting. It's your superpower now.

Thank you so much for joining me on Mindful Moments: Daily Breathing Exercises for Relaxation. Please subscribe so you never miss a moment of calm in your day. I'll be right here tomorrow, ready to breathe with you again.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI