Mindful Breathing

If you tend towards hyperarousal

• Try guided meditations. A meditation teacher or narrator gently directs your focus and breathing, making it easier to gradually slow the mind.
• Hold a small grounding object such as a crystal, pebble, or small toy. This gives your hands and senses something steady to focus on while you breathe.
• Breathe in through the nose and audibly out through the mouth, or ideally, in and out through the nose. This may take time to build up to.

A simple breathing exercise: Box Breathing

• Close your eyes.
• Imagine drawing a square in front of you.
• Inhale for 4 seconds as you trace the first side.
• Hold for 4 seconds at the corner.
• Exhale for 4 seconds as you draw the next side.
• Repeat several times.

You can experiment with breathing while imagining different shapes to keep it interesting and engaging.

If you tend towards hypoarousal

• Focus on compassion and patience with yourself.
• Use mindful breathing to gently bring awareness back into the body.
• Add soft movement, such as stretching or slow walks, to encourage activation without overwhelm.- If you're new to or struggle with meditation or breath control- Have you tried '21 days of central nervous system care'