“The breathwork pattern used in the 4-7-8 technique can be a great practice coupled with a bedtime routine to decrease the stressors of the day and its impact on the body and mind which can allow for a deeper, more uninterrupted sleep,” says Marie.
Just remember it’s all a process, so it might involve patience and regular practice before it works. “This technique should be performed twice a day to see great results and to cultivate a regular practice that can be more useful as a prevention tool,” says Garcia. “I have practiced the 4-7-8 technique when I have woken up in the middle of the night and within minutes I have felt calmer and ready to go back to sleep.”
Although there are many ways to fall asleep, the bedtime benefits from deep breathing are based in physiology. The brain responds to higher oxygen levels. “The combination of saying ‘think, feel, choose’ and breathing deeply results in increased oxygen in the frontotemporal lobe, which can lead to increased connectivity between the amygdala and frontal lobe,” explains Dr. Leaf. “This connectivity brings a balance of energy into the left and right sides of the brain, which can help calm anxiety and help to improve the sleep cycle by facilitating the release of melatonin and making it easier to enter into a state of relaxation.”
What other benefits can deep breathing bring?
We’ve already mentioned that 4-7-8 breathing can be used to reduce anxiety. Dr. Dr. Leaf states that people often experience dysregulation when they face stressful or triggering stimuli. This can lead to the body occupying one of three states: flight, freeze, or fight. “There are many experiences that can lead to this heightened state, including trauma, a traumatic brain injury, or any mental health stressors,” says Dr. Leaf. “When we feel distressed, we often can’t think clearly until we calm down our brains and bodies, which is what makes deep breathing so great—it can have a very soothing effect on the mind, brain, and body, which, in turn, can help us get into a mental state where we can get to the root of our stressors.”
Deep breathing can also help increase the feel-good hormones (a.k.a. endorphins). endorphins. “When we pause our breathing and hold it in, we are filling our cells with oxygen; as we force the air out, we force oxygen into our brains,” says Dr. Leaf. This increases the oxygen that circulates throughout our bodies in our blood. This oxygen goes to the heart and lungs and increases the number of endorphins in the brain.”
Experts say the technique can be used to help with panic attacks. “4-7-8 breathing allows people to feel in control of their breath,” explains Garcia. This technique can be used during anxiety episodes and hyperventilation. Long and deep exhalations trigger the vagus nerve and calm the mind and body almost immediately.”
Another benefit of this approach to mindfulness is that it is simple, subtle—and free. It can be done in an airport, at work, or between meetings. You don’t need a yoga mat or a lot of meditation apps to do this. Plus, it’s easy to remember: 4-7-8. The exercise is structured using a simple counted approach, which allows one to focus on their breathing.
This approach may not work for everyone as our bodies and limits differ. “I personally do not teach any techniques that are based on counting as everyone has a different lung capacity and the focus on being able to hold or expand the breath for a certain amount of time most times makes the participants be in their head more than their body and trusting their body for the duration of the practice,” explains Marie.
Source: Glamour
