The Five Deep Breaths Practice

The Five Deep Breaths practice is one that saves me daily. It’s simple. It doesn’t take much time. It connects self-care and meditation in an accessible way. And I can do it anywhere – from standing in my backyard to sitting at my desk to waiting in the line at the supermarket to taking a breather in the bathroom in the middle of a family reunion. 

I love it so much that I created the Five Deep Breaths Collection to honor this practice and give us wearable reminders to help us pause and take those breaths. I love that the collection has become a customer favorite, too. It feels so powerful to think about all of us using this practice again and again to create moments of mindfulness in this crazy, beautiful world.

Here’s a bit more about the practice to help you start using it daily over in your corner of the world.

Why five deep breaths? Pausing to breathe deeply for a few moments becomes a way to remind my body that it does know peace and stillness. Those first three deep breaths create enough space for my body to relax. With the fourth, my mind realizes it can rest for a moment. And by the fifth, I am recentered and back into my body and heart. Sometimes, by that fifth breath, I can find just enough peace to trust what I know inside my heart in that moment.  

Noticing. Breathing. Letting go of what pulls on me.

Sometimes I use it as a grounding practice throughout the day. Other days, it is more like first aid when I’m going through a difficult time or just having an upside down, challenging day (or moment). 

How to use this practice: 

Close your eyes. Bring your hand to your heart. 

With the first breath, relax your shoulders.

With the second, notice how your breath moves in your body.

With the third, try to let go of anything pulling on you.

With the fourth, feel the space you create inside you.

With the fifth breath, let your mind rest in this space. 

Notice how you feel. In your body. In your mind. In your heart.

Other ideas:

• You don’t have to close your eyes, especially when you’re in situation where you don’t want to or shouldn’t. You can use this practice while driving, while at the dinner table, while walking your dog. Change it up as you need to for you.
• This could be a great way to ground yourself before you work, write, create, get out of bed. Spend a few moments reflecting on where you could insert it into your day to support you.
• Give yourself reminders to pause and take these five deep breaths throughout your day. You could set a timer on your phone or put up a few sticky notes. Think about what kind of reminders you need to begin to integrate this practice into your daily life.

Check out the Five Deep Breaths Collection filled with jewelry, a pocket talisman, and even stickers to remind you of this practice.