The 4-7-8 breath taught by Dr. Andrew Weil acts as a natural tranquilizer. Especially with practice, it can bring instant relaxation.
The basic idea is to exhale completely with a whoosh sound, then close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose to a count of 4. Hold your breath to a count of 7, then exhale completely, breathing out with a whoosh sound, for a count of 8.
Repeat 3 times.
If it’s too hard to hold your breath with the count of 4-7-8, you can count faster — just keep the ratio the same. Over time, you will be able to breathe more deeply.
You can see a short video of Andrew Weil demonstrating how to do 4-7-8 breathing here.
That page also suggests some fine points:
- You can do the 4-7-8 breath in any position, but beginners are advised to sit with their back straight.
- “Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.”