Long Exhale
Sitting tall, breathing out for twice as long as you breathe in. The only thing in the method where the breath is the work rather than the pace.
The lesson
- 01
Sit tall, however you can
Cross-legged on a cushion, kneeling, or with your back flat against a wall and the legs out in front. Height under the hips is what lets the spine stack without effort.
- 02
Let the ribs be free
Sit up out of the low back rather than puffing the chest. The ribs need room to move — that is the whole reason this is done sitting rather than lying down.
- 03
Breathe in for four
In through the nose, unhurried, for a slow count of four. Fill low first — the belly and the bottom of the ribs move before the chest does.
- 04
Breathe out for eight
Out through the nose for a count of eight, letting the air leave steadily rather than dumping it and then waiting. This is the half that does the work.
- 05
Shorten it if it strains
Four in, six out is the honest version for most people starting out. A ratio you can hold calmly beats a longer one you have to fight for.
- 06
When the mind wanders, count again
It will wander within about three breaths. That is not a failure — noticing and returning to the count is the practice, and you will do it many times.
- 07
The test
By a few minutes in the shoulders drop, the jaw lets go, and the breath feels slower without you making it slower. If you feel light-headed or air-hungry, the ratio is too long.