A Microdose Breathwork Pattern for Mindfulness and Resilience
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience.
And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
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What if the fastest way to shift your mood wasn't found in a lengthy meditation, but in a single breath pattern you can do anywhere?
Stanford researchers recently compared several breathwork techniques and found that cyclic sighing outperformed the rest at elevating mood, and in this week's microdose meditation from the Pause, Breathe, Reflect app, Michael walks you through exactly how to practice it.
You'll settle into a comfortable position, ground yourself with three slow breaths, then learn the simple pattern behind cyclic sighing: two inhales through the nose, one long exhale through the mouth.
It's a practice you can return to whenever today's uncertainty asks a little too much of you, and a reminder that sometimes the most grounding thing we can do is simply breathe.
You will discover:
- The Stanford research behind cyclic sighing and why it's uniquely effective for mood
- How to practice the double inhale, slow exhale breathing pattern step by step
- A short, guided version you can use anytime you need to reset
- Where to find hundreds more practices like this one, completely free
You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace.
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With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and
<p> Hey there, it's Michael. On Mondays, I love sharing a shorter practice with you to help you navigate today's uncertainty with more mindfulness, resilience, and grace. And today, we'll sigh it out. This practice can be found on my Pause, Breathe, Reflect app, which is totally free to download in Apple's App Store and on Google Play.</p>
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<p>I hope you like it, and I hope it's meaningful to you</p>
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<p>Researchers at Stanford University did a study comparing breathwork patterns, and they found that cyclic sighing was the one that elevated mood the best. So in this practice, we'll play with this breathing pattern and I'll guide you through it</p>
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<p>When you're ready, settle into a comfortable position. And as you do, you can close the eyes or you can keep them open. And we'll begin, as we usually do, with three grounding inhales and nice, slow releasing exhales</p>
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<p>Giving yourself permission to come into the moment. Come into your posture and tune in to your body, your heart, and your mind</p>
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<p>Settling in and slowing down</p>
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<p>As you settle into the natural rhythm of the breath, I'll share how we'll play with this breathwork pattern. If you can, breathe up through the nose and out through the mouth. And with our in breath, we'll breathe in once, filling up the lungs, and then we'll breathe in a second time, fully expanding the lungs.</p>
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<p>And with your breath out, breathe out slowly at your own pace So when you're ready, breathing up through the nose, take a full breath in</p>
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<p>And take a second breath in, fully expanding the lungs</p>
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<p>And then slowly sigh your breath out, breathing out through the mouth</p>
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<p>Taking this at your own pace</p>
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<p>Now breathing up through the nose again, filling your lungs with air Taking a second breath in, fully expanding the lungs. And a slow exhale, sighing out your breath Relaxing into this moment</p>
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<p>And I'll give you some space to play with this on your own Two inhales and one slow relaxing exhale</p>
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<p>When you're ready, you can begin to ease your attention</p>
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<p>You can start to flutter the eyes open and wiggle your fingers and toes.</p>
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<p>I hope you enjoyed this practice. And if you know someone who might find it valuable as well, I hope you'll share it with them. You can find this practice as well as hundreds more on my Pause, Breathe, Reflect app, which is free to download in Apple's App Store and in Google Play</p>
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<p>And until Wednesday's episode, may our practice together benefit all living creatures, and may we celebrate our scars as golden symbols of our strength and resilience</p>
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