4.7.8

“Some doors only open from the inside and breath is a way of accessing that door."

In an age where we are asked to remember a plethora of passcodes and passwords, I am calling for what could be one of the most life changing sequences of numbers you could possibly learn. The sequence is “4.7.8”, and it provides a framework for controlling your breath that can unlock the ability to be truly present, alleviate specific to general anxieties and eliminate the potential for panic that can be pervasive in the lives of many. It is widely known in popular psychology that breath is the key to controlling and expressing true authentic emotion, yet many of us ignore the ad-nauseam invitation to “stop and breath”. In my line of work, the invitation I offer to control breath and develop a mindfulness/contemplative practice is met with significant resistance. As humans, we are adept at inventing a myriad of excuses to not be able to start a controlled breathing practice or mindfulness exercise. Whether it be “I don’t have enough time; This is to granola/hippy-dippy; I have tried before, etc.”; I am here to say that resisting the invitation to explore what controlled breathing does for your quality of life is to deny yourself of one of the most cost effective (FREE), scientifically validated and transformative tools on the healthcare market. Max Strom is a teacher, scholar and academic who has committed his life to the study of breath work and its impact of the integrative health of individuals. In the attached Tedtalk (you can fast forward to minute 14 if you “don’t have time”) the 4.7.8 breathing exercise is detailed and exemplified. I urge you to try with an open mind, there are no side effects…other than relief. Take 5 minutes for yourself. Happy breathing!