Everything You Need To Know About 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Take a deep breath in, hold it for a second and let it out — do it for 6-7 times, and you could notice a sudden feeling of relaxation inside your head. Breath is such an effective tool that can make you feel less anxious by easing your tension. 4-7-8 is an example of such a breathing technique.

It’s actually based on ancient yogic practice, known as Pranayama, and developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. The easy-to-do breathing method involves a systematic cycle of breathing that often helps people to get proper sleep. Practicing a regular course of 4-7-8 exercise would reduce stress-related health problems effectively.

What Is It?

4-7-8 is a basic breathing technique that takes little time and effort to get done without any modern equipment. While initially, it makes your head go a little dizzy, it helps to calm your mind to reduce the anxiety. Derived from the ancient art of meditation, it promotes relaxation, calmness to make you fall asleep shortly.

As we can control our breath, we can channelize the power of breathing by developing it as a powerful weapon against stress. The technique can be a beneficial tool for relaxing throughout the day. You can do it in the morning, after waking up, or you can do it later in the day.

A Complete Guide To Do 4-7-8 Breathing Practice

Adopt a relaxed sitting posture before beginning the exercise. Ensure the surroundings are calm and quiet while you have ample time to practice without being disturbed.

First, part your lips narrowly to make a whooshing sound, so that you can empty the air of your lungs by exhaling. Next, breathe in silently through your nostrils for four seconds. While inhaling, please make sure you’re being totally tight-lipped. Count exactly 7 seconds in your mind, and empty the lungs by exhaling the air strenuously through your mouth, making the whooshing sound again. Do it 4-5 times repeatedly.

According to Dr. Well, four times in one shot will be enough for beginners if you’re practicing twice a day. Having mild breathing problems can inhale the air for about 2 seconds and exhale it slowly for about 4 seconds. Benefits can be evident after a week of consistent practice.

Advantages And The Way It Works

Since breathing is something we can regulate on our own, it’s a valuable method to attain a relaxed state of mind. Practicing mindful breathing exercises will decrease the stress levels and make your heartbeat work perfectly. With a controlled heartbeat, the fear of having a panic attack will decrease significantly.

If you have a digestive disorder, doing the 4-7-8 breathing exercise will improve your digestive system in the long run. Once you begin to practice the technique consistently every day, you’ll notice the gentle feeling of calmness all over your mind.

You can focus on your study or works more while aggressive behavioral problems may is being reduced. Patients suffering from Asthma or COPD will be greatly beneficial once they start doing the method. Deep breathing will help their lungs and hearts to work more efficiently, resulting in enhanced stamina levels during hard works.

Uses

The technique is most useful in dealing with stress and anxiety. Stress comes as an inevitable part of modern life. With the increasingly connected modern way of life, the sheer pressure of professional deadlines and trying to balance too many things together causes havoc in our mind that leads us to have stress and anxiety quite easily. So, no wonder why we always try to find a way to get out of this.

This is where breathing techniques such as 4-7-8 can be immensely useful. There can’t be anything better than a natural way to heal your mind and soul effectively without using the doses of anti-anxiety drugs. Deep breathing exercises will take your mind to a point where relaxation reigns supreme. With controlled breathing, you’ll feel more invigorated than ever.

When you inhale air, your blood cells collect oxygen and emit carbon dioxide. So, imagine how much benefit you can notice, doing it in the right way. Be it fatigue, anxiety, panic attacks, or various other problems that are associated with stress — the 4-7-8 breathing technique is highly fruitful to eliminate those. Regular practice of it will only bring goodness to your life.