30 Day Meditation Challenge
Leave a comment below, what’d you think of Day 6?
Day 6 - Lower Stress with Your Breath
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Join the 30 Day Challenge yourself HERE
Got this from a friend?
Join the 30 Day Challenge yourself HERE
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Thanks Vanessa. I haven’t done box breathing in a while and it was helpful to be reminded of what a helpful tool it is for relaxation. I’m enjoying these daily meditations with you and appreciate the variety of what you have shared so far.
Fantastic to hear that Tracey! So glad you are finding them helpful. Thanks for your feedback!
Loved this technique too, Vanessa! You’re such an inspirational woman🌟, so I’m very happy to be doing this 30-day challenge again this year. Namaste 💓
Ah so grateful Clara! So happy you are here! Glad you are enjoying the meditations.
I found it difficult to hold in between the breath – but i have done the 4 by 4 for years and it works !
Perfect! Whatever works best for you and is fulfilling the purpose of mindful breathing. Love the testimonial that it does work for you!
Great technique to calm down Vanessa
Thank you!
Lovely to hear that Alejandra!
Focusing on “having a peaceful and open heart ” during the breathing meditation was absolutely wonderful!
Love that you found that phrase so helpful Julie! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thank you for reminding of box breathing. I’ve used this in the past but forgot the benefit when stressed and anxious. Including this in my daily self-care.
Oh it is fantastic for self-care and any stressful moment. So glad you were reminded of the benefits.
Thank you for the exercise in box breathing. It was fun to practice with you, although not my favorite technique. We are all connected, but persnickety.
Love you, Vanessa.
Haha yes! Thanks for trying it out with me Karen! Love!
Loved it. Thank you
Excellent box breathing.
I must make sure to do this daily. Thank you!
It’s really helpful in stressful situations!
Great guidance on box breathing, Vanessa! So appreciate all of the detailed work you have put into this and everything!
-Robin G.
A new admirer & Soul Sister:)
Oh so very glad you are enjoying the challenge and box breathing. So grateful to have you in this community Robin!
The more you breath that way the easier it is
I have used this technique to bring myself out of a panic attack. It’s good to be reminded of it and practice it again.
Great breathing technique this is something I will practice
OH so glad to hear it.
Thanks to you, Vanessa, I shared this breathing technique with one of nephews when he needed some help. I walked him through box breathing just as you have done with us and it really helped. Your meditations have a lot of impact. 😊
Oh beautiful Jennifer! I’m so happy to hear that box breathing helped your nephew so well! You are such a kind Aunt! Grateful for you and YOUR impact on the world.
Felt wonderful. Will use it often
Breathing properly is key to feeling better with yourself and with the rest of the world. Thank you for this relaxing, soothing breathing exercise. Vanessa. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to take part in your 30-day meditation challenge. Thank you!
So very glad you are here with us… and SO dedicated! You are an inspiration!
Excellent, Vanessa! Thank you so much for this relaxing, soothing breathing exercise. I loved it!
Thank you Clara! So glad you enjoyed this one!
Nice to learn a new breathing technique for relaxation! Thank you!
Yay! Absolutely!
Thankyou! Great reminder
I will do this everyday. Always feel better after breathing exercises.
I hope you do Esther! Breathing is SO powerful.
Thank you Vanessa–relaxing
Vanessa,
Thank you so much for this
🙏🙂.
Hey community,
I struggled with breathing in part. I dont feel that I filled my lungs properly.
I am a former Marine, huge fan of Bene Brown, and can’t believe that I have never used this technique. I will definitely be putting it into practice the next time I’m feeling Zoom’d out or walking in or out of a difficult conversation. Thanks Vanessa
Oh I love to hear this Paul! I’m excited for you to try it out!
I find this breathing technique very difficult. If I do it more than one time i.e. two “boxes” I start to hyperventilate like i am getting out of breath. Not sure why that is? Is this a skill that needs to be learned?
Hi JL, the box breathing is not for everyone, but so glad you tried it out! Yes, it can be a skill that is learned and practiced to see whether it is suitable for you. 1) For some people (especially those who have experienced past trauma), some or all breathing techniques can feel uncomfortable 2) Other times, it is not the breathing technique itself but trying to match the pace and counting from the guided meditation that is causing the uncomfortable response. If that’s the case, play around with different cadences to find the right pace for you, you don’t have to follow my pace. Simply use the instructions and practice on your own. Thanks for writing in!
Thank you so much for this timely reminder. Perfect way to greet the day after a stressful and painful oral surgery yesterday. Thank you for sharing your light! 🙏❤️🙏
Oh, yes! Wishing you a peaceful day today then! Thank you for sharing your experience with this meditation. So glad it assisted you.
Thank you 🙏
I use this method sometimes in meditation–but didn’t realize how well it works alone for stress-thank you.
Wonderful to hear you found it helpful for using by yourself! Thanks for sharing!
Box Breathing has been my “go-to” de-stressor since I started doing your year round daily meditations for many years.. Thank you for refreshing this . Peace + Luv ☮🔮☮🎶
Your techniques are so nice.. The most effective one I felt so far is the gift, the deep sleep practice.. Was soo relaxing and the Universe SAT to Pass in me as me through me… Thanka a lot for sharing your valuable insights into the world…
However,
I feel a lot of effort and stress to do the box breathing … In fact ..unable to relax… I am able to follow the rhythm on a count of 4… Probably not a technique suitable for me or maybe I may have to practice for long to see whether it’s suitable for me…
But thanks a lot for a Wonderful Technique…
Hi there, the box breathing is not for everyone, thanks for being willing to give it a shot! A couple of things could be causing this response 1) For some people (especially those who have experienced past trauma), some or all breathing techniques can feel uncomfortable 2) Other times, it is not the breathing technique itself but trying to match the pace and counting from the guided meditation that is causing the uncomfortable response. If that’s the case, play around with different cadences to find the right pace for you, you don’t have to follow my pace. Simply use the instructions and practice on your own. If you get too much in your head with the counting and trying to match a certain pace, it can feel the opposite of relaxing! It could be that your mind is too involved trying to figure out the counting and the pace, with time this can also become easier and more natural. Your point at the end to practice to see whether it’s suitable for you sounds like a great solution. Thank you for being here and for sharing about your experience. I really love hearing from you!
This is a great technique for breathing to recenter and focus when things get stressful. Thank you!!
I have enjoyed all of your meditations. I especially like today’s breathing practice. Thank you so very much.
Fantastic Cathy! Thank you!
I do this “16” second breathing exercise a lot during the day!!! It calms you in any situation!!!
So wonderful to hear it can assist you at any time during the day!
Vanessa, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! Today I was able to wake up and NOT look at my cell phone! 😊
Woo Hoo! That is a huge accomplishment! Keep it up.
Thank you for the technique, I will certainly make use of it.
Nope…. not a fan of this box breathing. Could barely do the example as felt panicked by lack of breath when holding. Impossible to relax at all, and made me more stressed.
Hi there, if the box breathing causing you to feel panicked holding, don’t do it. Instead, you can try simply extending your exhale so that it’s 1-2 counts longer than your inhale (with no pause between inhale/exhale). This also activates the parasympathetic nervous system and allows your body to relax. So you can try inhaling to the count of 4, for example (at whatever pace feels comfortable to you) and then immediately exhale to the count of 6, and then inhale to 4 (no pause between exhale and inhale) and again exhale to 6. Try that and see if you like it. I find it very calming and according to neuroscientist Dr Rick Hanson, anytime your exhale is longer than your inhale, you will naturally activate the relaxation response through the parasympathetic nervous system.
Thank you for sharing this ‘new to me’ breathing technique. It was easy and relaxing, and I will certainly add it to my tool box of stress relieving techniques. 💕
I do daily!!!💛
I kinda like this technique. It is like giving a short pause to what is bothering you and then helping to clear your mind. Or it seems that way to me.
Definitely adding this one to my list of meditative tools. Thank you!
Wonderful Alicia! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on today’s meditation!
I do this 26 breathing exercise many times a day!!!!💛🥳
May take some practice…I’m finding it difficult to relax on the “holds.”
Hi Linda, do what feels best to you and find your own rhythm. Maybe try saying an affirmation during the holds like “I am relaxed” or experiment with holding for a shorter period of time. Trust your own intuition what’s best for you. Another simple breath practice is to have your exhale be longer than your inhale, but you don’t need to hold at all. You inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 6 or so with no holding between. You can see if that works better for you. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system when the exhale is longer than the inhale, and triggers a calming response in the body. Give it a go and let us know!