3-Part Breath

Hello from Big Pine Key!

Today I’d like to share a coping tool that you can use to increase self-awareness and self-regulation. Committing to this practice each morning helps clear the clutter in your mind and produces creativity.

Here are the simple steps to ready yourself for this 5-minute practice:

  1. Find a quiet space where you are not interrupted.

  2. Sit tall and be aware of your strong spine. Allign your shoulders over your hips and your ears over your shoulders. Tuck your chin towards the back of your neck.

  3. Allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears and pull your shoulder blades down your back. Feel the strength in your spine as you relax your eyes, mouth, jaw, and fingers.

  4. Be still.

  5. Keep your awareness to three parts of your body. As you inhale, feel your BELLY rise, your LOWER RIBS expand, and then YOUR UPPER RIBS inflate to your clavicle bone.

  6. As you slowly exhale, feel the deflation of your upper chest, mid chest, then belly.

  7. Continue breathing with an awareness of the 3 parts of your torso. If your mind gets distracted, bring your thoughts back to filling up your body with fresh oxygen and releasing the stale carbon dioxide.

    TEACHING TIP: After using this tool with yourself, invite students to join. Help them notice how a long, slow breath calms the nervous system and prepares the brain for learning. Never force students to take a breath, simply invite.


    For more practice, join me each Sunday at 8:00 a.m. LIVE for meditation and movement.

Julie Frizzi