4,4,4 – a simple calming exercise for mind and body

The 3-part exercise

• Count to 4 while breathing in
• Hold the breath for a count of 4 while imagining it is filling you with calm
• Count to 4 while breathing out and imagining calm flowing to your heart and stomach areas

Not all in the mind

Neurons, the cells that make everything work, are found in three parts of your nervous system: brain (500 million cells or neurons), stomach (100 million neurons) and heart (40,000 neurons)

The neurons in your stomach and heart carry information through and from your brain and enable gut and heart to function as best they can. These are in communication with each other all the time and influence each other, including emotionally. For instance, something you are nervous about (a job interview that’s starting in a few minutes, say) affects the emotional part of your brain, your stomach (‘butterflies in your tummy’) and your heart which beats faster.

So calming your body helps to calm your mind. That’s why in this exercise you imagine the sense of calm flowing to your heart and stomach.

This is also a simple and effective mindfulness exercise that brings you into the moment while you are doing it.

See also: Mindfulness is about the body as well as the mind

My 15-lesson course Easy Mindfulness can help you learn many mindfulness techniques to bring more calm to your life.

Image by Bella Huang on Unsplash