The Inner Peace breathing guide.

What is in the guide

Breathwork is a simple way to give the body a steadier rhythm to follow. A longer exhale, a quiet room, and a few minutes of attention can help create the conditions for calm. The four patterns in this guide are the ones I keep coming back to, mapped to the moments I most often need them.

Box breathing · 4·4·4·4

Inhale four, hold four, exhale four, hold four. Best for daytime calm, before meetings, after a hard email, or any moment when a clean structure helps. Keep the counts comfortable and return to normal breathing if you feel light-headed.

4·7·8

Inhale four, hold seven, exhale eight. Best for a short bedtime reset or returning to sleep at 3 a.m. Keep it gentle and stop after a few cycles — more is not better if the pattern starts to feel strained.

Long exhale · 4·6

Inhale four, exhale six. The gentlest of the four. Use this when 4·7·8 feels like too much, when you are recovering from illness, or when you just want a steady resting practice for ten or fifteen minutes.

Slow even · 5·5

Inhale five, exhale five. A slow, even rhythm of about six breaths per minute can feel steady without requiring breath holds. Use this for longer meditation sessions, walking practice, or as the rate you return to between deeper exercises.

When not to use breathwork

Breath-holding is not safe in or near water. Skip held-breath patterns (box, 4·7·8) if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, are in the late stages of pregnancy, or have a history of seizures, panic disorder, or recent surgery. Long-exhale and slow-even patterns are usually fine but stop if you feel light-headed or anxious. This is a relaxation guide, not medical care. Talk to a qualified clinician about persistent anxiety, panic, or insomnia.

How the wind-down page works

The last page of the PDF is a one-page wind-down routine: dim the lights at 90 minutes before bed, set the room cool, do four cycles of 4·7·8, then a long-exhale set under a sleep music track of your choice. Print it, put it on the bedside, and let the routine do the remembering for you.