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The box breathing technique
“Box breathing,” “square breathing” or “the tactical breath” is used in martial arts, yoga and the military.
By consciously slowing down the breath and breathing from the diaphragm, you allow your body and mind to relax.
Box breathing is done by breathing in for a set count of say 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds and then holding again for 4 seconds; hence the “box” or “square” pattern.
By calming you down, it also helps increase your ability to cope with stress, anxiety and fear.
What are the benefits of box breathing?
Lowers heart rate
Lowers blood pressure
Normalises our perception of time, space and reason
Relaxes muscles
Increases our ability to cope with stress, anxiety and fear
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces the magnitude of the fight or flight response
The above are just a handful of benefits box breathing can have. Don’t forget, breathing can be done anywhere and it’s free!
“God shaped man from the soil of the ground and blew the breath of life into his nostrils and man became a living being”
– Genesis 2:7
