Cyclic sighing

Two inhales through the nose, the second one small, then a long slow exhale through the mouth. The pattern your body already runs when it sighs.

Sit however you are comfortable. You can close your eyes; the count is spoken on the screen, not out loud.

The pattern

in through the nose, out through the mouth

Coming down. The fastest way we know to drop arousal without holding anything.

What is known

In a 28-day randomised controlled trial, five minutes a day of this improved mood and lowered resting breathing rate more than box breathing and more than mindfulness meditation.

Balban et al., Cell Reports Medicine, 2023