Lower back and upper back

Extended Exhale Breathing

Longer exhales deeply activate your body's calming response, reducing physiological arousal and pain sensitivity: particularly helpful for highly irritable or sensitive conditions.

How to do it

1. 1

   Settle into any position you can stay in comfortably

   Lying down, or sitting supported. Nothing about this needs a particular posture, and being comfortable matters more than being upright.

2. 2

   Breathe in through your nose for a count of four

   Ordinary depth. This is not a big breath, and trying to make it big is the most common way people make themselves lightheaded.

3. 3

   Breathe out for a count of six to eight

   The out-breath is the whole practice. Longer than the in-breath is what matters, and the exact count matters much less than that.

4. 4

   Let the pause happen at the end of the exhale

   There is no need to hold anything. When the out-breath finishes, the next one starts on its own.

5. 5

   Continue for three to five minutes

   If counting becomes a distraction, drop it and simply let the out-breath be the longer of the two.

What to watch for

Straining to reach a count. If the long exhale feels uncomfortable, shorten it: the ratio is a guide, not a target. Leave this practice out and speak to a doctor if you have chest pain or are short of breath at rest.

Ways to adjust it

• Ratio 4:6 inhale:exhale
• Reduce exhale if uncomfortable

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.