Published on July 9, 2026 · 1 min read
Three breaths I use through the day
No twenty minutes and no cushion required. Three ways of breathing that fit into any moment of the day.
- Breathing
- Habits
The question I get most after a workshop is always the same: «and when am I supposed to do this?». The short answer is that the good thing about breathing is that you already have it with you.
These are the three I use myself, and the ones people most often tell me stayed with them.
On waking: making the out-breath longer
Before you get up, three minutes. Breathe in counting to four and let it out counting to six. Do not force anything: if counting to six feels like too much, count to five.
The point is not to breathe «properly». The point is that the way out is longer than the way in.
Before a difficult conversation
A single breath, but a full one, mouth closed and shoulders wherever they are. It puts a space between what happens and what you answer.
You can do it in front of someone without it showing.
At the end of the day
Lie down and put one hand on your belly. Do not count anything. Just notice whether the hand rises and falls, and how many breaths it takes you to stop being in a hurry.
It is almost always fewer than you would think.
If any of this feels uncomfortable, stop. Breathing is not a place where you need to push.