Our bodies respond well when our regular daily breathing pattern is an even pattern, where our exhalation and inhalation are about the same length and our breath is smooth and continuous.

Did you know it takes six seconds of breathing out for our body to activate our relaxation response? When our breath is short and we hold our breath, it is hard for us to calm ourselves or settle.

The key to forming a habit of longer, more relaxing breaths is to attend to our breath without too much effort. Relax and allow your breath to lengthen and become smoother.