Y4PS Breath Practice Five: Physiological Sigh

The Physiological Sigh is your go-to breath technique for when you find yourself experiencing pre-presentation anxiety and need relief fast. Imagine you are about to go on stage and feel the need to calm yourself and vent some excess energy right now: this breath is your best friend. A few rounds of this breath technique can help to quickly bring your autonomic nervous system out of hyperarousal mode and into a more grounded and comfortable place.

Prepare

1. Sit in any comfortable, upright posture on a chair or the floor
2. Lift the crown of your head a little bit to ensure that your spine is long
3. Rest your hands comfortably on your lap, palms up or down
4. Before you practice each technique, take a “falling out” breath: a single full inhale through the nose, followed by a relaxing siiiiiiiigh out through the mouth  
5. As you sigh out the breath, relax anywhere in your body where you feel excess effort or tension 

Technique 5: “Physiological Sigh” for Immediate Stress Relief

This final technique serves a different purpose than the first four practices. While the other techniques cultivate important breathing skills over time, the Physiological Sigh, which has been studied by researchers at Stanford University who are focused on the breath, is meant to serve as an in-the-moment, “just break glass” emergency stress-relief breath when you find yourself experiencing pre-presentation anxiety and need relief fast.

Imagine you are about to go on stage and feel the need to calm yourself and vent some excess energy right now: this breath is your best friend. It can help bring your autonomic nervous system out of hyperarousal mode and back to its normal baseline almost immediately.

Read these instructions below fully on how to master the Physiological Sigh technique, and then practice.

1. Breathing in through your nose, inhale fully, and take an extra “sip” of breath at the top of the inhale to fully inflate the lungs (this will open up your alveoli to provide an optimal exchange of CO₂ and oxygen)
2. Open your mouth, and without rushing the exhale, sigh as you let the breath fully empty
3. As you exhale, relax anywhere on your body where you feel extra effort or tension (check the brow, jaw, shoulders especially)
4. Repeat this pattern of breath 3 to 5 times
5. Return to breathing normally and notice how you feel in your body and mind

Y4PS Breath Technique 4: Physiological Sigh Journal Questions

1. What did you notice about this Physiological Sigh technique?

2. What did you feel in your body/mind before the practice? After the practice?