MY TOP RELAXATION TOOL (OF ALL TIME!)

In this day and age, stress is an inevitable part of our daily lives and it’s here to stay. Whether we like it or not. What we do about it is what matters.

Any other busy bees out there with short attention spans?

It only takes 2 mins a day! Enter the 4-7-8 breathing. Dr Weil describes it as possibly the most powerful technique he uses with his patients. Quite the claim, right?

STEPS

Place the tip of your tongue right behind your front teeth

Breathe in through the nose for the count of 4

Hold the breath for the count of 7

Exhale through the mouth with a whooshing sound for a count of 8

Repeat 3 times, 2 x times a day

It works! Our breathing tends to be shallow when we’re stressed thus depriving our body of enough oxygen. This deep, belly breathing also help us get rid of the excess buildup of carbon dioxide in our tissues, which contributes to disease.

So simple and quick, yet so effective when practiced over time. It’s advisable to stick to 2 repetitions of 4 breaths to start with to avoid light-headedness (a little is normal when we start practicing). Head over to Dr Weil’s site to watch a full demonstration if you need more guidance.

TOP TIP: Do this before eating your meals and watch your digestion and health transform! For optimal digestion, our bodies need ot be in a relaxed state called the parasympathetic state aka the ‘rest and digest’ mode. Vs the sympathetic state – ‘fight or flight’ mode. In a parasympatetic state, the gastrointestinal muscles are relaxed and all digestive activities are enhanced, including the secretion of enough stomach acid (exactly what we need for the whole process to work well!).

Gotta love it when a super simple technique brings such powerful results. No drugs, no equipment, just 2 mins of your day. Do you have the time?