The sigh
Two breaths in, one long breath out. What your body already does after crying.
Patternin 2 · top up 1 · out 6
Pace6.7 a minute
Try5 minutes
Ready
If you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop and breathe normally. That's all it is.
How
- Breathe in through your nose.
- When your lungs feel full, take one more short sip of air on top. That is the "top up".
- Let it all go, slowly, through your mouth. All through the nose is fine too.
- Five minutes is what the study used. One or two sighs also help.
Where this comes from
- Balban and others (2023), Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal - Cell Reports Medicine. Five minutes a day of this "cyclic sighing" for a month improved mood more than five minutes of mindfulness meditation did, in a study of 108 people.
More: all the breaths · What do I need?