What is 4-7-8 Breathing and how to do it?
4-7-8 Breathing is one of my favorite breathing exercises by Dr. Andrew Weil. I love it because it is simple, easy to do, and very effective. I use the 4-7-8 Breathing technique if I get stressed during the day, need to balance myself, or if I’m having difficulties falling asleep at night. Taking deep breaths helps you stabilize your blood pressure, lower your stress levels, slow the heartbeat and so much more.
You can do this exercise in any position you like and it only takes a few minutes. I like to do it either sitting down with my back straight or lying down.
How to do the 4-7-8 Breathing technique:
Place the tip of the tongue behind your upper front teeth and keep it there for the entire exercise.
Before you start, exhale completely through your mouth making a whoosh sound
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for 4 counts
Hold your breath for 7 counts
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sounds to a count of 8.
Repeat the circle 4 times and do it every day
4-7-8 Breathing is a great technique to stabilize your blood pressure, lower your stress levels, slow down your heartbeat and so much more. If you are interested in exploring more breathwork techniques, make sure to read our Introductions to Breathwork.
Hi! I'm Sara, the founder of Withsara. I have been a fitness group instructor, Barre teacher and Yoga teacher for over 10 years. I am also a certified Nutritional Health Coach from IIN in New York, USA.
After giving birth to my two beautiful daughters, I have had to build up my body twice after my pregnancies. With my experience, I have created a workout that is a great combination of low impact, functional movement, pilates, barre, and yoga. It builds up deep core strength, creates sustainable and lasting change, relieves physical tension and mental stress, and gives you an overall healthier and happier body.
