Breathwork Exercises to Calm the Nervous System

How to Use This Discourse

This discourse is designed as a do-along practice. Read each section once to understand the method, then practice it in the order given. The first two to three techniques are performed sitting; the final technique is performed lying down in Śavāsana (corpse pose). You can practice all of them in one session or use them individually through the day.

The central aim is to activate your diaphragmatic (belly) breathing so the body shifts into rest-and-digest mode. As diaphragmatic breathing deepens, your vagus nerve is stimulated, your blood vessels relax, oxygenation improves, and the nervous system calms.

Why These Methods Work

These breathwork exercises directly stimulate the respiratory centers in the brain responsible for belly breathing. The sequence first clears stale air and excess carbon dioxide, then invites fresh oxygen and prāṇa, and finally lengthens and slows exhalation so that gas exchange in the lungs is efficient and the nervous system enters a parasympathetic rhythm.

• When stale air leaves fully, inhalation arises by itself—you do not need to pull the breath in.
• Fresh oxygen and prāṇa then reach your cells, especially the mitochondria—the tiny powerhouses that produce ATP (your usable cellular energy).
• The combination of vessel dilation, cellular oxygen uptake, and slow exhalation leads to an immediate sense of calm, mental clarity, and balanced energy.

Posture and Set-Up

1. Sitting position (for Techniques 1–4)
   • Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor with the spine long.
   • Relax your shoulders, jaw, and tongue.
   • Keep the mouth gently closed unless instructed otherwise.
2. Lying position (for the Guided Practice at the end)
   • Lie on your back in Śavāsana without a pillow.
   • Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.
   • Ensure the belly rises and falls; the chest remains comparatively quiet.
   • If you prefer, cover your eyes with a soft cloth to withdraw the senses.
3. Optional sensory down-regulation
   • Dim the lights, silence notifications, and keep a glass of water nearby.
   • Soft self-touch and gentle face, neck, and chest stroking for a few minutes can further activate the vagus nerve and set the tone for calm.

Technique 1 — Blow Exhalation (Sitting)

Purpose: Throw out stale air, apāna (downward, expulsive energy), and carbon dioxide; open space for effortless inhalation; begin vessel dilation and oxygenation.

How to practice:

1. Sit upright. Inhale naturally (do not overfill).
2. Purse your lips and blow the breath out sharply from the belly, as if you’re throwing the air away in short, crisp bursts.
3. Each burst is a quick “ooh”/“hoo” from the belly—not from the throat or chest.
4. Allow inhalation to happen on its own. Do not focus on it. Return immediately to the next sharp blow.

Tempo & counts:

• Start with 10 quick blows to learn the feel:
  ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh—then relax.
• Based on your need and inner feel, expand to 50, 100, or more. You may do up to 500 spread across sets if your system is comfortable.

Cues:

• Keep the belly gently deflating on each burst.
• The jaw, chest, and throat remain relaxed; power originates from the abdomen.
• If dizziness arises, pause, breathe normally, sip water, and resume at a calmer pace.

Effect you will notice:
A cleaner, lighter feeling in the trunk; an automatic pull of fresh inhalation; mental quieting; a gentle lift in alertness with less restlessness.

Technique 2 — Rapid Nasal Inhalation (Sitting)

Purpose: Invite fresh oxygen and prāṇa quickly; enhance vessel dilation and feed cellular respiration (mitochondria) so ATP production can rise.

How to practice:

1. Keep the mouth closed.
2. From a neutral belly, sniff-in quickly through the nose—a swift, clear inhale.
3. Let the exhale fall out passively through the nose without force.
4. Continue with short, quick nasal inhales at a steady rhythm.

Tempo & counts:

• Begin with 10–20 rapid nasal inhales to feel the rhythm.
• Build to 30–60 as capacity allows.
• Pair this technique with Technique 1: first blow out stale air; then invite fresh oxygen swiftly.

Cues:

• Keep the ribcage soft; feel the breath draw low into the belly.
• Avoid shrugging the shoulders or tensing the neck.
• If you feel over-stimulated, pause and breathe slowly for a few cycles.

Effect you will notice:
An immediate brightness and clarity in the brain; an energized yet calm alertness; improved oxygenation that supports steady cellular energy.

Technique 3 — Blow Exhalation with Arm Press (Sitting)

A modification of Technique 1 to open the lower lobes of the lungs and strengthen the belly-to-exhale connection.

How to practice:

1. Sit tall. Bring both hands forward at chest level, elbows soft.
2. On each blow exhale (the same crisp “ooh/hoo” from Technique 1), press the arms forward—as if you are pushing something away.
3. Let inhalation arrive by itself.
4. Repeat in smooth, quick bursts.

Tempo & counts:

• Begin with 10–20 blows with arm presses.
• Build to 30–50 as you feel comfortable.

Cues:

• Feel the belly deflate as the arms press.
• Keep the neck and face relaxed; the movement is from the core and shoulder girdle, not from tension.

Effect you will notice:
Greater activation of the lower lungs; clearer abdominal mechanics; more efficient clearing of stale air; a grounded, centered energy.

Technique 4 — Rapid Inhalation with Arm Sweep (Sitting)

A modification of Technique 2 to synchronize fresh intake with gentle upper-body motion.

How to practice:

1. From a relaxed seat, prepare for quick nasal inhales.
2. As you sniff in, gently sweep your hands upward or outward to open the chest subtly.
3. Let exhalation relax naturally and bring the arms back to neutral.
4. Continue for the chosen count.

Tempo & counts:

• Start with 10–20 synchronized cycles.
• Build to 30–60 as your rhythm feels good.

Cues:

• Keep the motion light and fluid.
• No strain in the shoulders; the movement is an invitation, not a forced stretch.

Effect you will notice:
A fresh influx of oxygen and prāṇa combined with a felt sense of opening; brighter attention without agitation.

Interlude — Water and Vagal Soothing

After Techniques 1–4, sip water slowly. Hydration supports nervous system regulation and helps the tissues receive oxygen smoothly. Spend 3–5 minutes giving yourself a soft, gentle touch—light stroking over the face, sides of the neck, collarbones, and chest. This tactile kindness is a reliable way to activate the vagus nerve and deepen calm.

Lying Practice — Pursed-Lip, Complete Exhalation (Śavāsana)

Purpose: Deepen parasympathetic dominance; maximize gas exchange; send oxygen steadily to the periphery (skin, fingertips, toes) through the blood and peripheral nerves.

Set-up: Lie in Śavāsana with no pillow. Place one hand on the belly, one on the chest. Ensure only the belly moves.

How to practice:

1. Allow inhalation to happen automatically—this is your built-in survival reflex.
2. Focus on complete exhalation only. Purse the lips slightly—as if whistling—and let the air leave in a very slow, thin stream.
3. Feel the belly deflate completely.
4. Keep each out-breath deep, long, slow, and complete.

Pacing options:

• Silently count during the exhale to anchor slowness: one… two… three… up to ten.
• If fatigue is heavy, you may extend to 20, 30, or even 60 counts on the exhale—only if it feels unhurried and natural.
• Between exhalations, let the inhale arrive on its own. Do not rush.

Effect you will notice:
A gentle wave-rhythm in the diaphragm; a spreading freshness in the mind; the sense that oxygen reaches the very tips of the body; thoughts quieten and the nervous system settles.

Add Sound — The Primary Hum (AUM-like buzzing)

Sound adds vibration that softens internal tension and massages the vagal pathway.

How to practice:

1. Inhale normally.
2. Exhale with a soft, steady hum that can resemble A-U-M as one continuous vibratory tone.
3. Keep it slow and rhythmic.
4. Notice how the diaphragm starts to move in an easy, pendulum-like rhythm and your whole system finds a soothing cadence.

A few cycles often create a sudden feeling of freshness and inner quiet.

Three-Segment Exhalation — Belly, Chest, Shoulders

This final refinement helps you sense where stale air leaves from and clears different zones of the trunk.

How to practice:

1. Belly segment (“oh”) — Inhale naturally, then exhale with a gentle “oh” focusing on deflating the belly and lower abdomen. Feel stale air leave the lower lobes.
2. Chest segment (“oh”) — Next exhale with “oh” again, this time focusing on the chest/heart/ribcage.
3. Shoulder/throat segment (“oh”) — Finally exhale with “oh” focusing on the upper chest, shoulders, neck, and throat, letting air ascend and leave.

Perform three connected “oh” exhalations in sequence (belly → chest → shoulders). Repeat this three-segment cycle 3–5 times. You will feel a top-to-bottom clearing of the respiratory tract and a noticeable ease in the upper body.

Daily Integration

• Use Blow Exhalation and the Primary Hum throughout the day, even while doing ordinary activities at home.
• When restlessness or anxiety spikes, lie down for pursed-lip complete exhalations until calm returns.
• When sluggish, pair Technique 1 (blow) followed by Technique 2 (rapid nasal inhale) to clear heaviness and brighten energy—without tipping into hyper-activation.

There is no hard limit on how many sets you may do in a day. Listen to your system. If you are particularly disturbed or anxious, emphasize the slow, complete exhalation practices more frequently.

Guided Practice Script — Backward Counting into Trance-Calm

This guided sequence brings you to deep peace through diaphragmatic breathing, sensory withdrawal, slow exhalation, humming, and backward counting, which shifts brain activity from busy beta to calm alpha rhythms.

Preparation
Lie down in Śavāsana without a pillow. Relax your hands and feet. Withdraw awareness from the surroundings; let the senses rest. If helpful, cover your eyes. Place one hand on the belly, one on the chest. Ensure the belly—not the chest—moves with each breath. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, nothing to achieve. Be here, now.

Set the breath
Let inhalation happen automatically. Attend only to slow, complete exhalation through lightly pursed lips. Feel the belly deflate fully each time. With every out-breath, imagine you release one unit of CO₂ while oxygen is quietly absorbed into the system and carried through your blood and peripheral nerves to the very edges of the body. The slower you exhale, the faster and deeper the nervous system calms.

Add number-anchoring to the exhale
As you exhale, silently count a gentle sequence—one… two… three… and so on—up to the number that suits your capacity today (10, 15, 20, 30, or even 60). Keep everything unhurried.

Add the Primary Hum
On selected exhalations, hum softly in a continuous A-U-M-like tone. Keep it slow and rhythmic. Allow the diaphragm to find its wave.

Three-segment clearing
Use three focused exhalations with the sound “oh” to clear the belly, then the chest, then the shoulders/neck/throat. Repeat this three-segment sequence a few times until you feel open and fresh.

Backward counting
Now begin counting backwards from 100. With each descending number, exhale either in silence or with a gentle oh/AUM and feel yourself sink into deeper calm.
100 — AUM… 99 — oh… 98 — oh… 97 — oh… 96 — oh… 95 — oh… 94 — oh… 93 — oh… 92 — oh… 91 — oh… 90 — oh… 89 — oh… 88 — oh… 87 — oh… 86 — oh… 85 — oh… 84 — oh… 83 — oh… 82 — oh… 81 — oh… 80 — oh… 79 — oh… 78 — oh… 77 — oh… 76 — oh… 75 — oh… 74 — oh… 73 — oh… 72 — oh… 71 — oh… 70 — oh…
Continue descending as you remain relaxed. Many practitioners notice a significant shift by the time they reach 60–70; if the nervous system is very agitated, complete the full sequence from 100 to 1, and repeat as needed later in the day.

The state of rest
Let thought fade to blankness. In this spacious neutrality—free of past and future—the system integrates. Mind, body, and spirit align; lower, disturbing energies transmute into quiet vitality. If sleep comes, allow it. If you remain awake, rest in the rhythm and feel the breath breathing itself.

Completion
When you are ready to return, soften the counting and rest for a minute in silence. Wiggle fingers and toes. Roll to one side. Come up slowly, carrying the calm with you.

Personalization and Pacing

How many repetitions you should do is personal. Needs differ across bodies and days. As a simple guideline:

• To clear agitation: Favor pursed-lip long exhalations, Primary Hum, and backward counting.
• To lift sluggishness: Begin with Blow Exhalation (Technique 1) then move into Rapid Nasal Inhalation (Technique 2), followed by a few slow exhalations to balance.
• To build rhythm: Add the arm-press and arm-sweep modifications (Techniques 3 & 4) for better lower-lung activation and a pleasant sense of opening.

If at any point you feel light-headed, pause, sit up if needed, sip water, and resume gently or conclude for the moment.

What to Expect After Practice

• An immediate calmer effect—the brain feels freshly oxygenated, the breath rhythmic, the body restful yet awake.
• Reduced restlessness or anxiety; less heaviness if you were sluggish.
• A sense of being launched into the present—peaceful, steady, and able to move through the day without undue fatigue.

A 100-Day Invitation

Practice these methods daily for 100 days. Combine the energizing techniques with the calming slow-exhalation work to maintain balance. With consistency, issues related to a hyper-activated nervous system reduce markedly, and the effects become long-term and self-sustaining.

If you wish to pair these practices with energy transmission for deeper transformation, you may reach out for professional consulting and structured guidance. You are unique; your breath, body, and nervous system deserve a sequence and dose that honors that uniqueness.

Quick Reference — Practice Map

• Sitting (start of day or pre-task):
  1. Blow Exhalation — 50–100 quick blows (ooh/hoo).
  2. Rapid Nasal Inhalation — 20–60 quick sniffs.
  3. Arm-Press Modification — 10–30 blows with forward press.
  4. Arm-Sweep Modification — 10–30 rapid inhales with gentle sweep.
• Interlude:
  Sip water. Gentle self-massage for 3–5 minutes.
• Lying (anytime you need deep calm):
  Pursed-Lip Complete Exhalation with optional counting (10–60), Primary Hum (AUM), three-segment “oh” clearing, and backward counting 100 → 1.

These breathwork exercises are simple, potent tools to activate diaphragmatic breathing, stimulate the vagus nerve, improve oxygenation, and calm the nervous system. Practice them exactly as described—slowly, gently, and consistently. In 10–15 minutes you can reset the whole system. Over 100 days, you can re-educate it.

Be unhurried. Be rhythmic. Let the breath do the healing.