The Letting-Go Breath
An Essential Tool for All Seasons
Today, during the peak of the holiday season, I’m happy to share a Take a Moment micro-meditation called the “letting-go breath.” This slow inhale through your nose, followed by an even longer, slower exhale through pursed lips sounds deceptively simple, but it will quickly leave you feeling more relaxed and settled in both body and mind.
I was first introduced to this breathing pattern three years ago in a trauma healing workshop at Esalen Institute led by Bessel van der Kolk MD, author of the perennial best-selling book, The Body Keeps the Score. Katie Dutcher, the mindfulness and meditation teacher who created our Take a Moment meditations, learned it when she became a certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, and now she begins almost every meditation she leads with it. Katie says, “Personally, I use the letting-go breath all throughout the day, whenever I need to slow myself down, put the brakes on rising anxiety, or clear my head from overwhelm.”
Katie explains that the magic of this type of slow exhalation is that it communicates a message of safety to our parasympathetic nervous system—the part of our nervous system associated with rest and digest. “Our breath is wonderfully responsive to whatever we’re experiencing. As soon as we feel stressed, our breath gets quicker and shallower, readying us to fight or run away from the stressor. By breathing slowly and intentionally, it’s as if we’re saying, ‘I am safe. All is well’ in a language that our nervous system understands. It responds by moving into the parasympathetic mode, and all of a sudden, we really do feel safer and calmer inside.”
Katie and I hope that this “Take a Moment” micro-meditation (under two minutes!) will support you during a time when you may be navigating busy airports, crowded highways, or large family gatherings. If you’re like the two of us, you may return to this easy, but potent, tool again and again, no matter the season.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season, full of love, joy and peace!
