18/05/2025
This is a good tool to learn for those pre show nerves ☺️
Square breathing is a technique that can help you relax, manage your stress levels and focus your concentration 😮💨
🫁 It involves inhaling, exhaling and holding your breath, all to a count of four seconds, while visualising the air moving around a square. This causes a build-up of CO2 in your blood, triggering various internal mechanisms to promote a relaxation response when you exhale. The addition of visualisation provides a helpful anchor for concentration.
Here's how to do it...
1️⃣ Sit or stand in a comfortable position, with your spine as straight as possible.
2️⃣ Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four, visualising the air moving along the top of a square.
3️⃣ Hold your breath for a count of four and imagine the air is moving down one side of the square.
4️⃣ Exhale for a count of four, with the air moving along the bottom of the square.
5️⃣ Hold your breath again, as the air moves back up the final side of the square until it reaches the starting point.
☺️ You can practice this technique at any time, including to help you prepare for a stressful event such as a competition. Try to do at least four rounds at a time, and build time into your daily routine to practice. If four seconds is a struggle, or too easy, adjust the count for a comfortable number of seconds.
If you have a respiratory condition, consult your doctor before trying square breathing.
