Breath control and breathing exercises are killer, brah.

• 7 benefits breathing exercises

And there are a variety of methods to choose from…

• Wim Hoff method revealed
• Holotropic breathing 
• Kundalini breathing
• Breathing for dummies
• Performance breathing
• Freediving breathing exercise
• Box breathing
• Cadence breathing
• Navy seals breathing
• Transformational breathwork
• Breathing meditation
• Shadow yoga

When I added discursive meditation to my daily routine, I also added a breathing routine/exercise – 4-Fold/Fourfold Breathing, aka Box Breathing.

I start my meditation with a few rounds of 4-fold breathing to center, relax and get in the meditation groove.

• In for 4
• Hold for 4
• Out for 4
• Hold for 4
• Repeat

The same cool Druid cat that intro’ed me to discursive meditation also open the fourfold breath path – they go hand-in-hand. Here’s the description…

“Once you’ve settled into your position, consciously relax each part of your body, starting with your feet and moving step by stap up to the top of your head. Then spend a few minutes paying conscious attention to your breath, breathing in and out slowly, evenly and fully. A traditional breathing exercise called the Fourfold Breath is commonly used here. Breathe slowly in while counting mentally from one to four; hold your breath in, while counting from one to four; breathe out, counting from one to four; and hold the breath out, with the lungs empty, while counting from one to four, and repeat. The counts should all be at the same pace, and the breath should be held in or out with the muscles of the chest and diaphragm, not by closing the throat, which can lead to health problems.”

Navy Seals dig box breathing, Laird Hamilton/Gabby Reece are down with it too, and the interwebs are full fo love for the fourfold breath.

Super easy. Works wonders.