29 August 2026
Breathing that settles you in three minutes
One exercise you can do in a queue, on a bus, or before a difficult conversation.
When the exhale is longer than the inhale, the heart rate slows. That is not a metaphor and not esoterica — half of pranayama is built on it.
How to do it
- Inhale through the nose for four counts.
- Exhale through the nose for six.
- No pauses, and no tension in the shoulders.
Three minutes is about eighteen cycles. You do not have to count: the body finds the rhythm as soon as you stop pushing it.
If you feel light-headed, you were trying. Go back to ordinary breathing and start again more gently.