Seven-Eleven Breathing technique is a nice little breathing exercise I learnt from Pat Williams who is a Human Givens therapist.
We all get stressed sometimes, but it is the accumulation of stress overtime that is the danger. The people who come to my Alexander Technique practice or perhaps visit one of my Alexander Technique workshops haven’t usually integrated relaxation into their lives as a daily activity and this is like missing the main meal. We need to de-stress. The problem can be finding the time. That is where seven-eleven breathing can be a real help.
Just empty your lungs and on the in-breath count to seven, then just pause slightly before breathing out for a count of eleven. The important thing is that you are breathing out more than breathing in.
This will calm you down very quickly and should only take a few minutes. This is to do with the fight or flight response. If a tiger were to chase you you would take in more air than you would let out to pump yourself up ready for action and is a natural stress reaction that helps you deal better with what is obviously a dangerous situation. But we don’t get chased by tigers! True, but every stress and strain is a version of the tiger chasing you and all day long we inhale and exhale breath in the wrong amounts. By breathing out for longer we bring about a very real physiological change in the body which calms us down and clears anxiety. Try it now and every day to improve your stress levels and take control of your life again. Please share seven/eleven breathing with your friends and family and help to make the world a more chilled out place to live!
