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Most of us breathe around 20,000 times a day — yet rarely pause to notice how each inhale and exhale shapes our inner state. Breath is more than oxygen exchange; it’s a dial that tunes your brain chemistry and nervous system in real time.

In this blog, we’ll explore three different ways of breathing — one that energizes, one that calms, and one that balances — along with the science of how each pattern rewires your body’s inner rhythms!

The Energizing Breath: Lengthened Inhale

Pattern: Inhale longer than you exhale (for example, inhale 5 counts, exhale 3).

When you intentionally draw out your inhale, you stimulate the sympathetic nervous system — the same system that supports alertness, focus, and readiness to act.

During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, allowing the lungs to expand. This slightly speeds up your heart rate because your vagus nerve momentarily reduces its signaling — essentially lifting the brakes. This micro-activation of your “go” system releases norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter tied to alertness and motivation.

How it changes your chemistry:

🌀Increases oxygen saturation and blood flow to the brain.

🌀Boosts dopamine and norepinephrine, sharpening focus.

🌀Raises heart rate variability (HRV) in a way that increases readiness and mental clarity.

When to use it:

When you’re groggy, unmotivated, or need a quick lift before a meeting or creative session. Think of it as natural caffeine through your lungs.

The Calming Breath: Lengthened Exhale

Pattern: Exhale longer than you inhale (for example, inhale 4 counts, exhale 6).

This activates your parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s rest, digest, and repair mode.

When you exhale slowly, your diaphragm relaxes and rises, signaling the vagus nerve to increase its tone. This slows your heart rate and encourages the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that brings the body back to calm equilibrium.

Studies using fMRI and EEG have shown that extended exhalations reduce amygdala activity (the brain’s fear center), helping you feel safe, grounded, and emotionally steady.

How it changes your chemistry:

💧 Decreases cortisol (stress hormone).
💧 Increases vagal tone and HRV — key markers of resilience
💧Promotes serotonin release, supporting a sense of peace and trust.

When to use it:

When your mind is racing, your body feels tense, or you’re trying to unwind before sleep. This is the breath that tells your body, “You’re safe now.”

The Balancing Breath: Box Breath (Equal Inhale, Hold, Exhale, Hold)

Pattern: Inhale 4 counts – hold 4 – exhale 4 – hold 4.

Used by Navy SEALs, yogis, and therapists alike, box breathing is a powerful nervous system reset.

Because each phase of the breath is equal, the body alternates between sympathetic and parasympathetic activation in a rhythmic way — balancing both. The brief holds allow CO₂ to rise slightly in the blood, which increases oxygen uptake efficiency in the brain and cells.

This even pattern increases coherence between the heart, lungs, and brain, a state measurable through HRV synchronization known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

How it changes your chemistry:

🪷 Increases GABA, the brain’s calming neurotransmitter
🪷 Balances sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
🪷 Enhances focus, emotional regulation, and stress resilience

When to use it:

Before a challenging conversation, while transitioning between tasks, or any time you want to feel calm yet alert — centered rather than sleepy or overstimulated.

A Bridge to Deeper Peace Wherever You Are

Your breath is a built-in biofeedback tool, and you can use it to build a bridge to deeper presence and peace no matter where you are. AND, it’s completely free. 

Each breath pattern writes a different story in your nervous system — and the beauty is, you can influence which one you’re body adapts to at any moment.

Our Slow Flow Yoga Classes in the Kona Cloud Forest will help you practice breath-based movement and finding thoughtful intention behind every breath. We breath deeply, allow each breath to guide our body, and drop into stillness while surrounded by the tranquil forest. You can book this peaceful and rejuvenating class here:

Slow-Flow Yoga In The Clouds (Wednesdays & Thursdays)