Breathe in through the nose for a slow count of 7. Hold for a count of 1 Breathe out through the nose for a slow count of 7. Pausing for a count of 1 Continue for several minutes.

Breathe in through the nose for a slow count f of 8. Hold for a count of 32. Breathe out through the nose for a slow count of 16. Continue for several minutes, with no pause after the exhale. Be free to experiment with rhythms what matters is settling into a soothing, calming flow. Rhythmic breathing is also great while walking (timed by your steps), running, biking, and most other forms of exercise.

A very fine, short (though not shallow) breath exercise comes from the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan. In subtle ways, this exercise uses the body in leading the mind and spirit to greater openness with each other and the environment.