10 -20 Minute Breathwork Exercise

Exercise Guidance

Getting set up

Sit upright in a relaxed posture, shoulders relaxed, chest open, feet flat on the floor.
Keep your mouth closed, lips gently together, tongue resting gently on the roof of your mouth — you will be breathing through your nose at all times.
Breathing should be light, slow, and low, down to the diaphragm.

Practice with three pillars of awareness

  • The gentle flow of air in and out of the nostrils

  • The awareness of the lower ribs’ gentle expansion

  • Gentle counting — don’t be too obsessed with exact seconds, just aim for a consistent pattern

Step-by-step breathing sequence

  1. Begin by gradually slowing your regular breathing down. Bring awareness to the breath without forcing.

  2. Take a light, slow and low inhale for 3 seconds.

  3. Exhale slowly and gently for 5 seconds.

    • Continue this rhythm in and out through the nose until it feels comfortable, controlled, and rhythmic (about 2 minutes).

  4. When ready, further slow the inhale to 4 seconds and the exhale to 6 seconds.

    • Maintain this reduced pace for around 6–8 minutes, allowing a tolerable air hunger that doesn’t feel suffocating and helps maintain calm.

What to expect

  • Sensations such as warm hands, excess saliva, or mild air hunger are normal.

  • If you feel a strong need for more air that disrupts the rhythm, simply increase your pace slightly and return to the timing once comfortable again.

Benefits

  • Provides a profound sense of calm; assists with anxiety, stress, and panic

  • Triggers natural nitric oxide in the respiratory system, aiding nasal decongestion and blood flow in the lungs

  • Improves sleep quality, concentration, and focus through better oxygenation and circulation

  • Helps lower blood pressure and heart rate via baroreceptor stimulation

  • Stimulates vagal nerve tone and supports the healing, repair, and restorative rest-and-digest response

Enjoy this practice — it should feel peaceful and therapeutic.
It’s especially useful before bed, helping you transition into a deep, restorative night’s sleep.

Book a session with Andy Webb - private or group class
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