Breath Pacer: Detailed Instructions

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Paced breathing is Western medicine's best tool for inducing a calm, relaxed state. It's very accurate and reliable, but it's different than ancient 'watch-your-breath' meditations, simply because it asks you to control the breath a little bit: you inhale and exhale to timed cues (visuals or sounds). Nevertheless, it's still best to approach this practice with all the ease of a Mindfulness of Breathing meditation. That is, use the timed cues to stay on pace, but do this with all the ease of a meditation, and while still mostly focusing on the simple physical sensations of the breath (especially in the abdomen). If your attention wanders from these sensations, simply bring it back, gently but firmly. Then sink more deeply into the ease. Most of our problems with distraction have to do with not allowing ourselves to relax deeply enough. So relax as you exhale: let yourself sink into the firmness and solidness of the earth, melting into its support and steadiness with each exhale. This paced breathing is Western and measured and scientific, but you can still approach it as a meditation.

Remember to not over-breathe with the pacer, but rather keep the breath volume moderate at all times. That's how a person at rest breathes. We are simulating and inducing a restful state. Never let the fact that it's paced influence the size or tension of the breath. Go with the flow with as much ease as you can. This form of breathing is so efficient that you can trust that your body is getting the air it needs, without forcing it. Of course, if you ever feel constricted, or dizzy, or any other symptom of concern, just stop the practice and discuss this with your healthcare provider.

The 'dings' are the inhale cues and the 'gongs' are the exhale cues. The cues are just helpers: they help you stay on pace. But be sure you mostly—and always gently—focus on the simple, basic sensations of the breath. Sometimes the cues are faintly heard, barely audible beneath the other rhythmic sounds. So, if you didn't hear a cue, but feel it should have been there, simply trust your body and breathe. The cue is always there, but often quite faint. This is intentional: it helps you learn to feel the pace internally, rather than to intensely focus on external cues. Let the cues serve as friendly reminders to stay on pace. They are not commanders, just helpers. Let the timing be in you.

The exhale is your best friend in this practice. Like a trusted old compass, it always points to home—your home-base of relaxation, ease, and well-being. Get to know your exhales (the feelings of them) well. Never force them and don't meter them out. Just let the air spill outpassively. Let them be as they are: smooth, rough, complete, incomplete, or whatever. They will settle in eventually. If there's a pause after all the air has spilled out, just notice the lingering sensations during that pause, before the "ding" cues you to inhale. Be fully occupied by the experience of noticing sensations. Be loose, and let there be some organic variation in all of this. The pacer also varies slightly. You don't have to be exactly on time—just close enough. Worrying about perfect timing creates its own problems (tension and judgement and worry), so try and let that go (hint: the more fully you focus on physical sensations, the less bandwidth is left for thoughts to sneak in and hijack your attention).Your exhales will be a little bit longer than the inhales, (especially if you count the pause at the end). In fact, that's built into the pacer. Pay special attention to the letting go or melting feeling present in each natural exhale. During  exhales the heart slows down, blood vessels open, blood pressure drops, the gut gently activates, the skin warms, and the muscles soften. So, if you pay attention to what happens during exhales, you're tuning in to the felt experience of internal calm. It's like knowing the way home, and knowing the feel of home. Exhales are your True North, pointing to the calm within.

Invite the breath into the abdomen, but gently (not forced). Chest breathing is a habit that you can let go of over time. We never want to force this change. Afterall, that sort of stress is what causes most chest breathing in the first place! It's all about moderation and ease, the way a person breathes when truly at rest. Let it unfold like a pleasant experience in your body. Focus below the level of words, to the simple, bare sensations of the breath. Enjoy the relief of this simplicity. Relax into the sense that there's no job to do and nothing to evaluate or prefer. If you keep your focus mostly on the bodily sensations of the breath, you will progress much more steadily. In this way, invite the breath to show up abdominally, but never force it. It's the pace the matters most, especially at first.