Q: When I’m anxious, I find awareness of breath meditation hard to do—but I know I need something to help calm me down. What else can I try?
A: Awareness of breath can provoke anxiety, and not just for the lung disease patients I see as a pulmonologist. The 4-7-8 breath can be used for situations where you’re feeling particularly anxious, stressed, or even if you have some difficulty falling asleep.
The 4-7-8 Breath
It’s a simple and portable practice: You inhale for a count of four, then you hold your breath for a count of seven, and then you exhale through your mouth through pursed lips for a count of eight.
The durations of these breaths aren’t as important as the ratio of the inhalation breath, breath-hold, and the exhalation breath, which is twice as long as the inhalation breath. This allows the lungs to completely empty
of stagnant air.
This type of breathing also activates your vagus nerve, which is your “rest and digest” nerve. Try going through four breath cycles in this way up to twice a day. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, decrease the number of breath cycles, and build up slowly.
