Prepare to Practice

Think of your time spent practicing Coherent Breathing as a mini-vacation, an instant retreat, as cultivating your garden. You are taking charge of your own health, well-being, vitality—your own happiness. One of my long-time students calls Coherent Breathing “The dessert of my day.” She says, “This is part of why I feel it helps me not binge-eat, which is huge!” She recently passed the 200-day milestone on Insight Timer for practicing Coherent Breathing Symphony every day.

Set and Setting

Practice at home or some other quiet place until you learn the technique by heart until you can do it without the need to think much about it. Then you have it in your back pocket, or on your smartphone, so you can practice it anywhere. This makes it an ideal ‘secret weapon’ against stress. No one will know you are practicing it.

Posture & Props

Keep in mind that you are cultivating the normal and natural state of balance in each and every part and system of your body, breath, heart, and mind. Therefore, sit or stand in such a way that your spine is tall, not slumped. Adjust your posture so your diaphragm has an easy time moving up and down as you inhale and exhale. Be mindful of maintaining good posture, but don’t be obsessive about it to the point of adding unnecessary strain. Be as relaxed as possible without slouching. By the way, the Sanskrit word for this balance of effort and ease is sukha.

Time

According to Stephen Elliott and other experts, it takes between eight and 12 minutes of breathing at five breaths per minute to achieve synchronization of breathing patterns and heart rhythm. That said, even three minutes reduces stress. However, when possible practice a minimum of eight minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes.