A Revolutionary 5-Second Breathing Technique that Outperforms Mindfulness Meditation - Amazing New Study!

Are you overwhelmed and stressed out by life's constant challenges and pressures? 

You're not alone. Stress is a common and quickly growing problem affecting millions worldwide. 

But what if I told you there is a way to take control of your stress and help brighten your mood? 

Your breath holds the potential to unlock an incredible design feature within you - the ability to improve your mood and rapidly reduce your anxiety. 

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New research has found that a simple 5-minute daily breathwork practice called "cyclic sighing," aka "the physiological sigh," can be significantly more powerful and fast-acting than mindfulness meditation as a stress management tool. 

And it can start to work in just seconds!

I carried out a single-subject design experiment on myself that combined physiological sigh breath work with a 6-second inhale/exhale breath rate. 

HRV biofeedback played a key role, as it was used throughout the experiment to track and optimize the results. 

The outcome was significant: my HRV improved by double digits, and my heart rate reduced dramatically within seconds.

So how does the physiological sigh work? 

The technique involves reinflating collapsed air sacs in the lungs, increasing their surface area and promoting efficient removal of CO2.

Additionally, cyclic sighing stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a vital role in the body's relaxation response,  by reducing the activation of the sympathetic nervous system while increasing parasympathetic activation.

 The cyclic or physiological sigh has an inbuilt safety mechanism that delays the responses by around 5 seconds, moreover to protect against syncope or fainting due to the rapid drop in blood pressure and other effects of rapid parasympathetic activation caused by the physiological sigh. 

 This means the "physiological sigh" exercise can induce your body's relaxation response in as little as 5 seconds! 

Psychologically, cyclic sighing provides a sense of control over one's physiology.
A sense of control is key in combating anxiety, and this cyclic sighing technique provides just that. The positive effects last over time.


As a Certified Stress Management Coach: 

I strongly recommend overlearning this super powerful near-instant relaxation strategy by practicing it to mastery: 

Once mastered, you can experiment with the physiological sigh whenever you need to get and stay calm in high-stress situations. 

You can also use it for short deep relaxation breaks to optimize daytime cognitive function and productivity. And at night, you can use it to fall asleep faster, deeper, and longer. 

Here's an important tip: if you're new to this breathing technique, it's best to start small. 

Try practicing for just 60 seconds at a time, and see how it affects you before committing to the full 5 minutes suggested by the study. 

Trust me, with how quickly this technique can work, you may be amazed at the results! Now here's a: 

  A Step-by-Step Guide for a 1-5 Minute Cyclic Sighing Practice Session:

• Start by scaling or rating your current stress level or negative mood level on a scale of 1 to 10; - with 10 being high and 1 being very low, and jot down that number.

• Find a profoundly comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down (if sitting, assume good posture - shoulders slightly back & down, hands resting comfortably, neutral spine, feet flat on the floor)

• Slowly close and relax your eyes. Allow your eyes to slowly defocus. 

•  Please focus on the physical sensations of your breath as it flows through your nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs and out through your mouth and lips.

• Start taking a full inhalation through your nose, but at about the halfway point, take two short, intense nasal inhales to complete the full inhalation.

• Exhale slowly and entirely through the mouth, with a sighing sound, as if you were sighing in relief (experiment with normal vs. pursed-lip exhale) 

• Allow your breath to be slow and natural; direct and allow your body and mind to relax completely.

• Continue to repeat this pattern for the duration of the practice session.

• Practice for at least 5 minutes or as long as you feel comfortable.

• Notice the changes in your body and mind as you practice.

• Slowly take a deep breath. 

• As you exhale, slowly open your eyes, allowing them to refocus.

• Next, scale or rate your current stress level or negative mood level on a scale of 1 to 10; - with 10 being high and 1 being very low, and jot down that number.

• Finally, compare your stress level or negative mood rating number from the beginning of this exercise with the one you just assigned. 

• Did your number improve?

 
So the next time you're feeling stressed, anxious, sad, or even angry, try this cyclic sighing breathwork exercise for a powerful and effective way to manage your stress and improve your mood. 

Hope that helps! - @YourCoachDavid