Rountree has been meditating for stress management for over 45 years. More recently, he added controlled breathing techniques—specifically the box breathing method—to his routine. This breathwork entails releasing all of the air from your chest and holding your breath for 4 seconds, then breathing in through the nose for 4 seconds, then holding your breath for 4 seconds, then exhaling out of the nose for 4 seconds.
Breathwork teacher Gwen Dittmar recommends repeating this 4-4-4-4 cycle for five minutes, or until you start to feel more calm. Rountree likes to call on this one when he feels suddenly overwhelmed by a stressful thought and wants to ground back into his body. Going back to the pragmatic thought component, breathwork is a good way to take control of your reaction when faced with a stressor that’s otherwise out of your control.
While stress will always be a part of daily life, having the right tools can help take the edge off, which could pay dividends for health down the line.
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