Background
When everything feels too fast, make the out-breath a little longer than the in-breath. A simple, guided practice for stressful moments – no holding, no special technique, just a slower way out.
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Practise sitting or lying down, and if you feel dizzy at any point, simply return to normal breathing.
Wherever you are, let yourself stop for a few minutes.
Feel your feet on the floor, or your back against the chair.
You don't need to fix anything right now. Only one small thing: the out-breath.
Breathe in through the nose for a count of four.
And let the breath out through the mouth for a count of six, as if you were cooling a cup of tea.
Let's do it together.
In. Two. Three. Four.
And out, slowly.
Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Again. In. Two. Three. Four. Out. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
If six feels easy, let it become seven or eight. If it feels like too much, keep it at five. There is no right number.
Now I'll only say in and out. You keep the count.
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.
Notice where the out-breath goes. Maybe the shoulders. Maybe the belly. Maybe nowhere in particular.
A few more on your own.
Now let the breath go back to its own rhythm.
The problem may still be there. But you are meeting it a little more slowly now.
Whenever things speed up again, one longer out-breath is a good place to start.