4 – 7 – 8 Breathing Method

Dear readers,

A few years ago, I attended a training course on how to handle emotions and anxieties in stressful work situations. At the time, I was working with refugees, and while I enjoyed the role, it could be very intense.

Throughout my life, I’ve often heard about how to breathe properly, and how most humanoids struggle with it, which brings about issues related to stress. We don’t breathe deep enough, especially in pressing situations or when exercising, which leaves us out of breath or make poor decisions. Some people have told me how to breathe into the diaphragm, or through nose, or in taekwondo to take quick short breathes through the mouth, all of which I have tried but it doesn’t quite work for whatever reason. There’s also types of yoga breathing which includes holding a nostril, which often just leaves me frustrated rather than the tranquil state it’s intended for.

So, in this training I took, I was taught the 4 – 7 – 8 method – also known as the relaxing breath, which was either created or advocated by Doctor Andrew Weil. Due to pressures of work, I have found myself revisiting this technique, which really helps refocus and return to the here and now, and often helps send me off to sleep if I’m struggling to rest. It is simpler, less time-consuming and less intense than Wim Hof’s method, which I also like, but usually on Sunday afternoon. But like Hof’s method, the 4 – 7 – 8 trick can leave you in a pleasant altered state, and on a couple of occasions, it’s left me a little faint, so don’t do this if you’re handling machinery or driving etc. Also, it helps distract your mind if you suffer from bad habits or addictions. My own personal habit is nail-biting, so when I find myself triggered, this 5 minute exercise breaks my thought.

The method

It’s not hard. It includes just three steps.

1. You breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.

2. You hold that breath for 7 seconds.

3. You then release it through your mouth by making a whooshing sound for 8 seconds.

You then repeat it four times. Just see how you feel after. To see an example, visit this YouTube video to see Dr. Weil talking about it himself.