Breathe with me: a breathing exercise you can do right now
Your breath is always with you, and five minutes of slow breathing can already change how you feel. Choose a breath below, turn on the sound if you like, and breathe along with the circle for a few minutes. It does not have to be more than that.
Made by Ilse-Marie Sobering, founder of House of InnerPower and creator of the InnerPower Method LAND • BREATHE • FEEL. She has been teaching Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra and breathwork since 2015.
You can always extend the session while you breathe.
If you feel dizzy, light-headed or short of breath, stop and simply breathe as you normally would.
Still restless, or is your head still full? Do another round.
Curious how another breath feels? Try a different exercise.
Feeling calmer? Take the feeling with you into your day.
A short introduction to the InnerPower Method
Simple on the outside, rich on the inside. These exercises are a short version of LAND • BREATHE • FEEL. In a few minutes you experience what the method does, and you can take it with you anywhere.
- LandStop for a moment. Place your feet on the ground.
- BreatheBreathe along with the circle, and with the sound of the sea if you like.
- FeelNotice how you feel and take the feeling with you.
Breathe with me
A calm screen with nothing but a circle breathing along with you. One minute is enough to feel what it does.
If you feel dizzy, light-headed or short of breath, stop and simply breathe as you normally would.
Six per minute
Five counts in, five counts out, without holding. Slow breathing raises your heart rate variability during and just after practice.
Longer exhale
Four counts in, six counts out. Your exhale is a little longer than your inhale. A good place to start.
The sigh
Breathe in slowly through your nose, add a short second inhale, then breathe out slowly through your mouth. In a Stanford study people did this five minutes a day.
Frequently asked questions about breathing exercises
What is a breathing exercise?
Breathwork means working with your breath on purpose: you change the pace or the depth, or you simply pay attention to it. Calm and intense forms work differently.
How quickly do you notice anything?
Some things happen right away: during and just after slow breathing your heart rate variability goes up, and in one study people felt less anxious after every five-minute session.
How often and how long should you practise?
A realistic start is a few minutes a day, regularly. In one study, five minutes a day for a month made a measurable difference in mood after each session.
Is a breathing exercise safe?
In research, calm and slow exercises report few side effects. Fast, intense techniques are discouraged, or used only with care, for conditions such as epilepsy, pregnancy and heart or vascular disease.
If you feel dizzy, light-headed or short of breath, stop and simply breathe as you normally would. This is general information and does not replace medical advice. If you are pregnant, have a heart or lung condition, epilepsy or a panic disorder, talk to your doctor first. Read the full disclaimer.
About the author
Ilse-Marie Sobering
Founder of House of InnerPower · E-RYT 500 · creator of the InnerPower Method LAND • BREATHE • FEEL
Ilse-Marie has been deepening her understanding of yoga philosophy and Eastern philosophy for more than 25 years, and has worked professionally since 2015 as an E-RYT 500 yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher, mindfulness and breathwork coach and EFT practitioner. She has also founded several other companies, among them a strategic communication and marketing agency, and before that she worked as a marketing communications manager and marketing director at various companies. That background still shows in the way she teaches: clear, practical and down to earth. In Spain, where she lived for seven years, she taught trainings and retreats in the Málaga region. She now works from the Netherlands, leading teacher trainings, continuing education, retreats and corporate training. For people living with long-term stress, for anyone looking for more connection with their body, and for professionals who want to deepen the way they guide others. Within her method she works with Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, meditation, Qigong and somatic work.