Pillar one ยท Relaxing
Full-fill
Foundational breath taken up a level. You stack breaths before the hold, and that takes you further down than a single round does.
Watch
The pattern
- 01Breathe in through the nose: belly, chest, head. Let it go.
- 02Second big breath, the same way. Let it go.
- 03Third big breath. This time fill all the way up.
- 04Hold 10 seconds at the top.
- 05Sigh it out, or use a long Ujjayi exhale.
Three breaths is where to start. More breaths before the hold makes it stronger. Seven, ten, fifteen. Change the number until it suits you.
If your chest moves before your belly, the order is backwards. Hand below the navel and start there.
How it lands
The stack does something a single breath does not. By the hold you are already further down than one round of foundational breath takes you, and the sigh finishes it.
What it does
- Goes deeper than a single round of foundational breath
- Settles the fight-or-flight response
- Slows the heart rate
- Scales: more breaths before the hold, stronger effect
- Lowers blood pressure and brings inflammation down
The rest of this pillar
- 3-10 minutes Foundational breath The fastest way down. Base for everything else.
- 3-10 minutes Box breathing Quiets the mind. Used under pressure.
- 5-10+ minutes Turtle breath Deep relaxation and sleep.
- 3-10 minutes Nadi Shodhana Evens out both sides. Settles without sedating.
- 5-10+ minutes 4·3·6 Longer exhale than inhale. When box isn't enough.
- 5-10 minutes Cleansing breath Golden light in, smoke out. Puts the day down.
- 1-5 minutes Qi Gong breathing Standing, slow, with a travelling picture.