Three Nourishing Breaths: A Portable 15-Second Reset When You Feel Out of Sorts
Looking for a simple way to reset when you're feeling stressed, scattered, or just plain tired? You might enjoy a go-to breath practice of mine, what I call Three Nourishing Breaths.
Why Breath?
First let’s unpack why breath makes such an effective reset tool. Breath travels with you everywhere, and has the capacity to adapt to the moment. As we're always breathing, breath practices can also often fly under the radar - allowing you to reset without drawing extra attention to yourself. Additionally, breath has been shown to effectively help soothe our nervous system and to replenish energy.
Three Nourishing Breaths Practice
Leaning into these three benefits, Three Nourishing Breaths is a convenient reset tool for moments throughout the day when you’re feeling out of sorts.* It can also be done in as little as 15 to 30 seconds.
Begin by checking in with yourself. What are you feeling? What is your current energy level? What is the quality of your attention?
Based on what you discover, respond by giving yourself your three most nourishing breaths for that moment.
You can always keep it simple, resting attention with the physical experience of each in and out breath. I suggest attuning to wherever it’s easiest to feel your breath or wherever would feel good. This could be at the tip of your nose, your chest or belly, the perimeter of your body, or your breath’s full pathway.
You can also experiment with adapting your breathing to what you're feeling in the moment:
Feeling tired? Focus on your inhalations to call in more vital energy, gradually deepening as feels good.
Feeling wired? Rest attention with your exhalations to help release excess energy. You may even elongate your out-breaths.
Feeling tender? Bring in care as you breathe by holding one hand in the other, placing a hand over your heart, or another form of compassionate touch. If more discretion is helpful, you can simply imagine engaging a nurturing gesture as you breathe.
Feeling anxious? Help your body settle by starting with a slow exhale, releasing stress downward with each out-breath. With your inhalation, imagine drawing groundedness and stability up from the earth toward the crown of your head. Repeat two times or more.
Feeling achey? Direct nurturing breath into any area of your body experiencing discomfort. Sometimes gently placing a hand where your body hurts can help guide your breath. Alternatively, if respite from pain would be more helpful, direct breath to an area that feels neutral or good.
* Note: This practice works equally well for positive moments - taking three nourishing breaths during pleasant experiences can help you savor them more fully as well as strengthen your capacity for feel-good states.
Feeling grateful? Bring awareness to your chest, noticing sensations of expansion and warmth that arise as you breathe, as well as any feelings of being touched by appreciation.
Feeling joy? This is a perfect time to fully savor the experience. You might let your eyes smile, or your whole face, or even your whole body as you breathe.
These are just some possibilities. I encourage you to get curious and playful about what breath adaptations help you reset and savor most effectively.
Creating Nourishing Breath Rituals
Once you're comfortable with the basic practice, you might enjoy weaving three nourishing breaths into natural transition points in your day. Perhaps beginning or ending your day with three intentional breaths. Or you could take three nourishing breaths before meals, meditation, or your movement practice. At work, you might help yourself to ground by enjoying three supportive breaths before meetings or opening your inbox.
The Larger Invitation
In today's world, there's often pressure to keep moving without pause, which over time can leave you feeling exhausted and disconnected from your own natural rhythm. These brief moments of intentional breathing are ultimately an invitation to pause, reset, and come home to yourself.
If you're drawn to exploring more portable mindfulness practices, you might also appreciate the TLC practice, which offers a gentle way to navigate moments of overwhelm.
If you’re curious about ongoing support for restoring balance and coming home to yourself, I offer mindfulness therapy, executive therapy, and ecotherapy. I work with adults navigating anxiety and depression, as well as challenges in coping and relationships. To learn more, I invite you to explore my website, or feel free to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation.