What Is Mindful Breathing?

Mindful breathing couples the state of mindfulness with the action of breathing — a helpful tool that is always available to us — to foster awareness.

When we are mindful, we are purposefully aware, without judgment, of what is happening in our mind, body, and environment. We can work on our breath awareness while doing practically anything, including meditating, eating, and journaling.

What Are the Benefits of Mindful Breathing?

Mindful breathing helps us cultivate mindfulness and, in turn, a better sense of connection with the world around us. It can also result in the benefits seen in relaxation techniques, such as inducing a slower heartbeat to lower or stabilize blood pressure and anxiety.

How to Practice Mindful Breathing

Anyone can practice mindful breathing – including children. It can be done either through short-form breath exercises or by performing certain forms of breathing meditation. All it takes is incorporating mindfulness with that act of breathing. You can start this practice with a simple mindful breathing exercise:

1. To perform this exercise, focus entirely on the breath leaving and entering your lungs.
2. Focus on the quality of each breath, the feeling of it entering and filling your lungs, and the way your belly sinks back down as you release your breath.
3. As other thoughts or feelings come into your mind, take notice before gently guiding your attention back to your breath.
4. Repeat this process until you feel ready to stop.

Related: Five Breathing Meditations

Breathing Techniques

Box Breathing

1. Breathe in and count to four slowly.
2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
3. Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you feel the grounded relaxation of the technique

Belly Breathing

1. To begin, lie on your back. For comfort, you can place a small rolled towel or a pillow behind your neck. 
2. Next, put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Take deep, slow breaths through your nose. 
3. When breathing in, push your belly out as far as possible so that the hand on your belly moves while the hand on your chest doesn’t.
4. Finally, breathe out slowly through your mouth. Breathing out should make you feel the hand on your belly move in.
5. You can repeat this multiple times a day for around 10 minutes

4-7-8 Breathing

1. In a restful position, place the tip of your tongue just behind your front teeth.
2. Inhale, then let out the breath with an audible, whooshing sound.
3. Inhale again while internally counting to four.
4. Next, hold your breath for a count to seven.
5. Exhale again, using the same audible breath, for a count of eight.
6. Repeat the cycle as you wish.