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With summer around the corner and the weather starting to warm up, we are reminded how important it is to stay hydrated.

In staying hydrated, it is important also to incorporate electrolytes to provide the body with minerals so that it may maintain optimal functioning. If you are like me, you may not want to down a sugar-filled sports drink that has other not-so-good for you ingredients in it.

Instead, here is a list of electrolyte-rich foods, that are all around nourishing:

  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Avocado
  • Broccoli
  • Potatoes
  • Beans
  • Peanuts
  • Almonds
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Raisins

You can also try adding a pinch of pink salt to your water from time to time to get some of those added minerals.

Stay Hydrated!
Check our our other health and wellness blogs here

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60 Minute Deluxe Session

Steam, exfoliate, and purify in your own Private hammam steam room session with your closest friends & loved ones. The private hammam can have from 1, up to to 5, people attending.

Deluxe Package – 60 Minutes:  This package includes all of what is offered in the express package, and in addition it comes with our Salt Glow Body Scrub, eucalyuptus spray,  DRAM herbal infused bubble water, and chromotherapy (color therapy) light options.

Cost is $85 for 1 person, $80/ person for 2-3 people, $75/person for 4 people, and $70/person for 5 people.

What to Bring

  • A towel, swim suit (optional), and change of lightweight loose fitting clothes to relax in after your session.
  • Extra towels, water shoes, soap and Kese Mitt are provided 

How does it work?

  • Steam to soften, hydrate skin and relax muscles.
  • Exfoliate with all-natural handcrafted soap and cleaners and Kese Mitt (traditional exfoliating mitt)
  • Rinse away impurities with personal sinks
  • We would love for our guests to set the intentions of “What are you letting go of today?” while in your session.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What can I expect during a session?

You will sit on heated benches inside our steam room, while using copper bowls to pour water over your skin and you may chose to exfoliate your skin with a provided Kess Mitt and wash with provided soap samples, finishing with a light lotion.

Deluxe Package includes our Salt Glow Body Scrub, DRAM herbal infused bubble water, and chromotherapy (color therapy) light options.

For more detailed info and step by step process read please our blog here.

How long are the sessions?

The Express package is 30 minute session and the Deluxe Package is 60 minutes experience.  The exact amount of time spend in the steam room will depend on your comfort level. We encourage you to pour cool water over yourself if you get too hot inside the steam room or step into the dressing room to cool off.

We invite you to relax and hydrate after your session in our atrium, located just upstairs from the hammam.. Take some time here to cool down and ground back into your body.

Will I be nude?

Since these are private sessions, clothing is optional inside the hammam. We will provide you a traditional lightweight Turkish towel to cover up and use while seated or laying down during your session.

What are the benefits of using a Hammam?

Our largest organ is our skin and we tend to cover most of it with our favorite lotion and other body care products. Environmental residue, detergents, and numerous other invisible toxins build up on the skin over time. The hammam is a place to deeply cleanse the outer most layer of our physical body. Finishing with a cold pour is a great immune boost to the system as well.

As well as being nurturing experience, there are many medical benefits to using a hammam, dating back to around 200 BC. These types of services stimulate your immune system by increasing antibody production and relieving aches, pains and stiffness in joints and muscles. It detoxifies the body and can reduce cellulite by pulling toxins from the fat cells of your body.

Who should not go in a Hammam?

There are just a few folks whom would not benefit from a Hammam . Our hammam uses high temperatures and these increased temperatures could possibly harm people who are elderly, have diabetes or heart disease, as well as those with irregular blood pressure. Children under 16 years old are prohibited due to their bodies being unable to regulate high temperatures.

PLEASE DO NOT SCHEDULE IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Severe inflammatory processes in the internal organs; heart diseases (infarction), cancerous diseases, severe kidney diseases, auditory and visual system diseases, severe diseases of the respiratory organs, infectious diseases, pregnancy, varicosity, fever or thyroid disorders, extreme vertigo.

Children under the age of 16 may also react poorly to the higher heat. If you’re concerned, please feel free to reach out to us with questions or ask your doctor.

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Have you ever considered a digital detox? Maybe you have seen the movie “social dilemma “, and you know about Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Maybe you already try to curb your time spent on social meida.  The addiction still holds tight when it comes to technology in general. I believe there is a fine balance when living in the world of AI.

Many of us are addicted to our phones and computers.

I am on a computer writing this blog. You are most definitely on one of those devices now. Were you scrolling just before reading this blog, or do you think you will most likely scroll after reading it? We wake up to phone alarms, we start our day playing music from an app or listening to podcasts, we work on them, we binge watch our favorite TV and movies, we text our friends and family. Phones and computers are a huge part of our daily life, yet its important to create a balance. Taking a digital detox can help.

Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that induces happiness. It is released every time we receive a message, alert, or notification on our phones. Most of us are deep in the addiction. When you are not on your phone for a few minutes and think of something do you grab your phone to look it up? Do to find yourself picking up your phone to scroll without even thinking about it?

A new study found that ditching your phone for a week — or even just using it less for that week — can change your relationship with your smartphone long-term.

Taking a digital detox, by decreasing your phone use, for even one week can help create positive habits and alleviate anxiety.

During a digital detox, you may notice that you pay more attention to your surroundings and that your brain can focus better on you tasks. Your mood will most likely be lighter and you may create more time for hobbies. Information overload can cause stress for some people. By reducing your consumption and doing something else, you will feel more relaxed and find yourself living more in the present moment.

Ways to Cut Back on Your Tech Use (Without Pulling the Plug Entirely)

  • Schedule time away from screens throughout the day
  • Take periodic breaks from technology/Create no-phone areas
  • Downgrade your phone. Remember the old flip phones?
  • Turn off your phone at a specific time
  • Adjust your phone settings to limit certain apps

While visiting us here at the salt cave, we encourage you to detox from your cell phone, even if just while you are here with us.

Technology detoxing is a big part of what makes our space so transformational. Whether you choose to have face-to-face conversation in our community spaces or to sit in quiet meditation, please join us in embracing mutual respect for one another and encouraging human connection.

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Spring is in the air….no wait, that’s pollen!

It’s Spring in the mountains and we are excited to see the world come into bloom around us again! However, with Spring in the air, comes the dreaded allergy season.

Thankfully here at Asheville Salt Cave, we have plenty of Himalayan salt to help your sinus and/or respiratory distress! Himalayan salt is an exceptionally beneficial remedy for seasonal allergies in children and adults. 

Here are a few ways you can utilize Himalayan salt, when spring is in the air, to minimize allergies, avoid skin reactions, and neutralize pollen in your home:

Take a teaspoon of salt sole in 8oz of water daily – This cleanses the body of the toxins that trigger asthma attacks and allergic responses.

Apply Himalayan salt directly– Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and rich with minerals, using a Himalayan salt stone (a “Boo Boo Stone” as we call it in the Salt Apothecary), dry rub the skin daily for best results.

Lotion with Himalayan salt – Our Salt and Amber body lotion helps you avoid skin reactions and soothe skin conditions like eczema or dermatitis brought on by pesky allergens.

Salt lamp – Salt lamps naturally draw moisture from the air. This subsequently releasing negative ions in the air that neutralize bacteria, mold, pollen and other allergens. They help with sleeping and cleaner air quality.

Come to the cave – Salt therapy can reduce inflammation, sinus congestion, respiratory allergies, hay fever, dry cough and itchy throat.

Use a salt inhaler – They can flush away impurities and alleviate inflammation. It’s also a natural relief for asthma, coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion and allergies related to dust, mold, and pet dander.

Here’s to Spring Fever….not hay fever! Stay salty, friends.

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There are many ways hydrotherapy can be a catalyst in healing the body.

Today we will be discussing hydrotherapy in the form of heat vs. ice for pain. Both have a time and place of when best to use them.

I occasionally have an old injury that reappears. Tennis elbow is back with a vengeance and I have been be trying to heal it with hydrotherapy, along with other holistic modalities like massage, herbs, compresses, and acupuncture.

There are different beliefs between Western and Eastern philosophies of using hydrotherapy. 

Let’s dive into this concept a bit,  hydrotherapy heat vs. ice for pain, as ice and heat both have a time and place when each should be used. And I want to find out what is best for this old injury.

It can feel good at the time to put ice to an injury since ice is analgesic, or to make the muscle pains numb and alleviate the intensity.

Keep in mind here, using ice keep keeps fresh blood from entering the area (vasoconstriction), creating constrictions in the fluid and blood vessels. This is why ice is so helpful during acute injuries with swelling.

Ice is also great for bug bites or stings as it is an analgesic. It can be used when you are in the middle of a sports game or long bike ride and there is an intense pain that arises and you need to push through to finish. Ice is useful in these situations, and then switch to heat once the task is complete and swelling has gone down.

In Eastern medicine they do not recommend using ice as frequently. Instead, they learn more towards heat for healing.

The philosophy is wanting fresh fluids and blood to move into the area to heal the tissues. In western medicine we have long had the R.I.C.E. approach given to us. Rest, ice, compression, elevation. For decades, RICE has been the gold standard for minor sprains and strains. But does this method work?

There has been a shift in trainers and doctors from recommending this method to moving towards a more active and heat based approach to healing. The RICE method might be slowing down the healing process, for certain types of injuries.

Movement encourages blood flow. Keeping the part immobile restricts the flow of blood and lymph, which helps repair tissue damage.

Ice constricts blood vessels, limiting fresh blood to the effected muscles and joints, for a short period. Heat creates vasodialation, the opening of the vessels to move blood closer to the injury site. Some advocate for an alternation of ice and heat.

Compression limits blood flow—compressed blood vessels can’t bring more fresh blood to the area to bring healing nutrients.

Elevation, by way of gravity, makes it hard for your body to get adequate blood to the injury.

So after researching for this blog, I believe ice to be useful for immediate accute injuries, but heat once the acute swelling has gone, can actually help the healing process. I have switched to using heat for my tennis elbow, since it is now an older, chronic, injury that has crept back in. I can say for my body, over the last two weeks of using heat (along with massage and stretching) there is a lot less intensity in the joint and muscles.

It’s always useful to research new methods and see what might work for you!

Heat hydrotherapy of interest to you? Try our Hammam Steam room!

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Did you know that even when lamps, computers, televisions, microwaves, cellphones, and other wireless equipment are not turned on, they still magnify an electromagnetic wave?

This can cause us to suffer from insomnia, recurrent headaches, cardiovascular and blood-related problems, and an overall weakening of the immune system (Lefevere, 2003).

There’s many precautions we can take such as disconnecting appliances when not in use, keeping your cell phone away from your bed at night, turning off wifi when able to, and staying some distance away from appliances when using them.

However, one of the most powerful ways to counteract the harmful effects from these electromagnetic waves is to install a salt lamp in every one of the rooms in your home.

Using salt lamps can be a kind of medicine for the home. Salt lamps will saturate each space with negative ions (read more about negative ions in this blog post), bring a calming atmosphere, absorb humidity, and may help to kill airborne pathogens, promoting health and harmony in your home.

Here’s some more benefits of having salt lamps in your home:

  • Soothing and energizing
  • Increased pleasure in food and conversation
  • Purified atmosphere
  • Aesthetic comfort
  • Acts as a shelter against insomnia, nightmares, and a large number of illnesses

In today’s world, we live, think, feel, work, and love through tensions, toxins, and electromagnetic waves.

Salt lamps are a simple and effective way to relieve our bodies and minds so they don’t turn into more serious conditions.

Reestablish mind-body balance and harmony in the home through the medicine of Himalayan salt lamps.

Resources:
Lefevre, C. (2003). Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamps for Healing, Harmony, and Purification. Healing Arts Press.

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Here are some simple, but effective tools for inviting some fresh oxygen into your system that can be done at any time of day.

 

Three simple ways to relieve stress:

  1. Legs Up the Wall: This is something that I have used on almost a daily/nightly basis to help me ground in some relaxation and invite stillness before bedtime. Not only can you do this from the comfort of your bed, assuming there’s a wall behind you, but you can do this for as little as 5 minutes and still reap some serious benefits. These benefits include getting your blood flowing in the opposite direction, which improves circulation and helps relieve some of that pain we get in our tired legs and feet after a long day! This restorative pose also helps alleviate tension headaches and overall tension in the mind and body, wonderful.
  2. Belly Breathing: If you are unfamiliar with this breathing exercise, I encourage you to place your hands on your tummy in a lying down or comfortable position. Taking deep breaths in through your nose, notice your belly expand into the warmth of your hands. And as you exhale, notice your belly deflate, like a balloon. Repeat this at least 3 more times and tell me if you don’t feel a little bit more relaxed than you did when you started.
  3. Get Outta Your Head and Into Your Heart: It’s too easy to get spun out with the litany of to-do lists and tasks each one of us has on a daily basis. To help me remember what is really important, I place my hands on my heart, close my eyes, and take 3 deep breaths into my heart space. This instantly reminds me that I am here now, in this moment, safe, secure, and loved. See if you can notice any feelings in your body that come up from doing this. I notice a subtle feeling in my arms and in my chest that washes over my whole body. I imagine that as a protective layer covering me in my energy field or you can imagine it as a beautiful warm light, blanketing you in Love!
I hope these ideas are helpful for you and if not, then there are lots of other simple ways to relieve stress. Find some things to experiment with to find what resonates for you! ✨

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Arriving in the beautiful and quaint town of Hallstatt Austria, nestled in the stunning Bavarian alps, you will find the oldest salt mine in the world, Salz Welten Salt Mine. It is crowned by the most breathtaking views imaginable. Along this journey I was drenched in the rich history of the land and its people.

As we arrived to the salt mine, we were perched 360 meters above the town, practically hanging off a cliffs edge.

I could feel the cool wind caress over my face. Taking a moment to glance out at the glistening lake far below, my eyes danced among the colorful glimmers of homes dotted along the shoreline. There is a different feel of aliveness here. A deep history winds among these ancient lands filling in the empty spaces.

The journey begins by walking along the same paths of the oldest salt mine in the world. These paths were trodden by prehistoric miners some 7000 years ago, and the people who once lived here for whom an entire age of human history was named.

You can almost feel the very breath of those far-distant times, as you roam the tunnels, gently stroking your fingertips along the roughly hewn rock walls. You can see the crystals of salt glisten along the crevasses. The reflective waters of the lake create an unearthly like landscape.

In the heart of the Salzkammergut, starts a journey to the origins of salt production.

The experience invites you to learn about the a rich history of salt mining and its production throughout the years. Salt mining included every member of the family. The men were responsible for driving the shafts and digging out the salt. The women carried the salt out of the mine. The children provided help as laborers and they brought in fresh supply of pinewood which was used for lighting. Up until the last century women still carried these rock salt from the high valley down into the town of Hallstatt. They were known as the rock salt women.

Today there are approximately 40 employees and they produce 605,000 m3 of salt brine annually, containing 180,000 tons of salt. To give a reference point, our salt cave is about 30 tons of salt. Amid the prehistoric tunnels, salt lakes, stalagmites and stalactites the oldest wooden staircase in Europe was discovered. It was used by people some 2800 years ago to carry “white gold” out of the mountain. To end the journey you are invited to an exhilarating experience that hurtles down a 64 meters-long miners’ slide.

This experience gave me a wealth of education on the history of salt production here, the local environment, the miners and their families, all seasoned with a healthy pinch of salt and enjoyment!

To learn more, or plan your trip, visit their website here.

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Most of us have experienced the pain that arrives when you can’t think of anything you have done to cause it, but there it is anyway, trigger point pain, pulsating through your whole body!

Trigger points are usually the result of muscular strains, sprains or trauma.

Trigger point pain can arise when muscle fibers, ligaments, tendons or fascia become weakened, overstretched, or inflamed, and this can create tiny tears in the soft tissue. As the tissue heals it can become knotted and twisted. This creates the issue of less blood flow to those specific areas and that’s when the pain starts to settle in.

Trigger points can feel like hard knots or little round balls in the muscle, they are usually very sensitive to touch.

Sometimes it may take a bit of exploring to find the exact trigger point, while the muscle surrounding them can also be quite tender.

Once you find it, take a deep breath. And note that most muscles and trigger points are paired. A point on the right side of your body likely has a corresponding point on the left side. So it’s best to work both sides.

Of course, one of the best ways to tackle nasty trigger points is to make an appointment with a massage therapist, but there are also many self-therapy tools on the market to help overcome the pain of trigger points.

Here are a couple ideas to help alleviate the intensity in the moment:
  • Sometimes taking a hot bath or using an ice pack can help dull the intensity. Listen to your body with temperature. Cold pushes blood away from the point, where as heat will bring blood into the area. A rotation can give the body a flushing feeling and move out any stagnancy.
  • A favorite which we have come to love at the Salt cave is the Thera Cane. This tool is extremely popular and is so great for those hard-to-reach trigger points in the upper back, neck, and shoulder blade areas. It helps you easily perform targeted, deep-pressure massage of sore muscles. You can not go wrong with this tool.
  • Another great one that you may already have laying around your home is a an old tennis ball. Alternatively, there are companies creating specific RAD balls for trigger point work. They usually range in diameter from 1 inches to 5 inches and come in specific hardness. Depending on the area you are working you may need a harder or softer tool. You can heat them or cool them to use directly on the body to add an extra layer of relief. These helpful mobility tools help you pinpoint your pressure for accurate, relieving massage where you need it most.

Always trust your body to know how much pressure to use.

You want a “good” hurt. Not too deep and not too light. Pause here and take a deep breath into the pressure point, and allow the massage therapist or mobility tool to sink into the muscle. Hold for at least 6-10 seconds and release. Repeat as needed or until you feel the pressure release.

For other self care techniques check out our Massage Self Care post!

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Dates are the fruit of the palm tree and are rich in macro and micronutrients.

Dates are also delicious.

Most of the calories in dates are from carbohydrates and a small amount of protein. They contain antioxidants: flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid. 

These delicious dates also have the following minerals: potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron and vitamin B6. They are supportive for brain health, bone health, blood sugar control, can be used as a natural sweetener, great way to increase your fiber intake and promote spontaneous labor to start in late-term pregnant women. 

With that said, they also taste delicious on their own, or made into a tasty treat!

Below I will share my favorite “snickers” bar recipe made with dates:

Medjool Dates

Peanut Butter

Peanuts

Dark Chocolate

Pink Himalayan Salt

Cut open the date length wise and remove the seed. Next, stuff those dates with peanut butter and peanuts (for crunch!). Melt your chocolate in a double boil, then dip your peanut stuffed date in the chocolate. Sprinkle some pink salt on top and pop them in the freezer for the chocolate to re-harden and wha-la! you have a nutritious, delectable treat!

Click here for more delicious and healthy sweet treat recipes.

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As you enter our Himalayan salt cave, you will notice three beautiful fountains all running a solution called Sole – pronounced “so-lay”, which is a perfect mixture of Himalayan salt and water.

We like to call it liquid sunlight or liquid light energy because the blend of water and salt is the “mother soup” of all life forms, and a physical representation of pure sun and light energy – the liquid materialization of sunlight. The word sole is derived from the Latin word for sun “sol” because of this (Hendel, 2003).

Here at Asheville Salt Cave, you can bask in liquid sunlight while relaxing on the floor cushions or zero gravity chairs, or you can purchase your own Sole making jar in our Salt Apothecary.

So what are the benefits of Sole?

Here are just a few:

  • Restores balance to high and low blood pressure within 15 minutes
  • Stimulates your metabolism, digestion, and circulation
  • Harmonizes acid-alkaline (ph) balance
  • Flushes out heavy metals in your body
  • Reestablishes radiant skin health

We encourage you to invite a little liquid sunlight into your life here at Asheville Salt Cave!

You can book salt cave sessions here

Resources:

Hendel, B (2003). Water and Salt, The Essence of Life (First Edition). Natural Resources, Inc.

This book can be purchased in our Salt Apothecary. 

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So what actually is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is otherwise known as Yogic Sleep.

It is an awakened sleep practice performed while laying or seated comfortably. In this practice, you will be taken on a guided meditation journey leading you into the “in between”; that space between being awake and being asleep. Within this space, a dream will be induced taking you into a state of consciousness that can bring about immense healing in your conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.

Yoga Nidra sessions can be personalized to your exact experience or they can follow common themes in life like sad/happy, pain/pleasure, rejection/acceptance, and so on.

What are the benefits?

  •  Relaxes the nervous systems + reconnects you to your body
  • Heightens creativity + intuition
  • Formulates new neural pathways in the brain, helping one to go beyond the realm of human suffering and transcend into new + positive ways of thinking + being
  • Aids in the acknowledging and processing of emotions, cultivating greater resilience
  • Can purge stored emotions, fears, and desires from the subconscious + unconscious mind
  • A safe + transformative practice for anxiety, PTSD, and depression

Do you need prior Yoga Experience?

You do not need to be experienced in yoga to practice Yoga Nidra. It is a practice that everyone can do. It’s easy to follow at any age. All your body needs to do is lie down or sit comfortably with eyes closed or open. Stillness is encouraged in this practice but it is never mandatory. You can always move and adjust as you need to.

Coming Soon: A Unique Experience offered by Kate at the Asheville Salt Cave:

All Yoga Nidra experiences with Kate are infused with Usui Holy Fire®III Karuna® + New Earth Reiki. Through the weaving of the energies of Yoga Nidra + Reiki, we will unearth the roots, merge the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious energies, rest, rejuvenate, and awaken to our power.

Check out our Events Page here

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Re-villaging is a term I had not heard of before having my first child. But now it is on the forefront of my mind. Whether you are a parent or not, this is information that should be a common understanding. 

Re-villaging is essentially modern day community support.

Authentic relating is as important as the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. We are biologically social animals. It is our innate design to need each other. Yet in our modern day culture we have been conditioned to believe we need to be independent and that asking for support is a weakness. This couldn’t be more wrong.

Community (or re-villaging) is one of the most important components to our health and well being. As a new mom, I have recognized the importance of asking for support.

New parents were never meant to parent alone.

And yet, so many of us are in isolation (especially with the current climate). We wonder why postpartum depression is so high, I believe this to be one of the leading components. 

One mother cannot be the whole village (for her family). Yet that is exactly what she is doing out of necessity. This is why new families are so burned out and exhausted, this work was never meant to be done without a village. Our ancestors had their communities and everyone pitched in to care for each other. Children were tended to and looked after by many people other than the parents. 

We truly need one another to thrive. Someone asked me recently if I had 8 people that I could call upon at any moment (that were local to me) for support. Fortunately, I could name 8; but it made me curious, how many actually have this? Can you think of 8 people that would be willing to stop what they are doing and come to you in a moment of need.

This is the re-villaging that needs to happen. 

It is a biological necessity that too many are going without. 

This is how we can pull ourselves out of burn out mode and back into our authentic, joyful, thriving selves. Because living in our joy is our birthright and the way we are meant to experience life. Now is the time to find your people, your village, and hold them close.

 

 

 

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An Overview

Our breath, our breathing practice, is what connects the mind and the body.

It is the bridge between past and future where we find ourselves in the Now. We average over 20,000 breaths in a single day, most of which are unconscious and passively guided by our Autonomic Nervous System. This system controls blood pressure, digestion, breathing, heart rate and all the other essential roles that keep our various organs working together without taking up precious brain power.

But what happens when we directly influence our breath with a conscious breathing practice and isolate it from that autonomic system?

We can actually help steer these different aspects of our bodily functions towards improved performance by focusing on the breathing practice we embrace. This is the goal of pranayama, often referred to as breathework. There are masters who have spent their entire lives perfecting a breathing practice. To allow for control over the body’s various systems: from consciously fluctuating body temperature to actively boosting their immune systems to fight back against infection. However, we all must start somewhere and I believe 4-7-8 breathing is a vital first step down the pathway of embracing the power of our lungs.

The process of meditation, breathwork, yoga or any of these self enhancing practices can seem quite intimidating at first glance. This initial anxiety can be enough to turn anyone away from exploring the numerous benefits to be found within determined self care. I began my journey with this very technique and it is one I still incorporate into my regular practice to this day.

The idea behind 4-7-8 breathing is that we can communicate with our central nervous system through the breath. By allowing our exhales to be longer than our inhales we signal to the mind that we are not in danger and it is okay to reduce the chemicals within the body that are associated with fight or flight responses, and so with stress.

As we come into this mental state of peace and relaxation the body also slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and reduces anxiety levels. This is a great technique for anyone who suffers from stress or anxiety as the practice can be done with no equipment, in very little time and in any location. I would often use the 4-7-8 breathe pattern on my subway rides to work, after a stressful situation or even when I’ve simply been in need of greater mental clarity.

The most important aspect of this breathing practice is the focus of your mind. We constantly inhale and exhale throughout our entire days but to sit with the intention of focusing on that breath presents a new experience to the mind and to the body. If you are not experienced in breathework try to avoid feeling frustrated with yourself or as though you need to force yourself to operate at a more demanding level, just the act of beginning such a path is an admirable accomplishment.

Even just sitting with the eyes closed for a few minutes and simply breathing 4 counts on the inhales, 7 counts as you hold the breath and 8 counts as you release it again you will have done yourself a great service.

 

4-7-8 Breathing Practice Technique

I like to start off this practice by taking a seat cross-legged somewhere quiet and calm with my eyes closed and devices away from my general area. It is perfectly acceptable to practice this technique while standing, laying down, driving in your car or even taking a stroll.

Once I have gotten comfortable I begin by releasing all the tension held in my shoulders and neck.

You can do this by taking a large, full breath in through the nose and bringing the shoulders up towards the ears. Squeeze whatever tension you feel upwards and hold the breath. Finally, release the breath and allow the shoulders to relax again as you breath out the stresses that were locked within the muscles. You can gently roll your neck here from side to side, remembering to continuously take deep, full breaths and be careful not to strain yourself in any way. Repeat this tension relief practice as many times as feels appropriate for yourself before moving on to the breathing portion.

Next I suggest taking three large clearing breaths to center yourself and mark a beginning to the practice.

For my clearing breaths I generally take a full inhalation through the nose and exhale through the mouth with a large sigh, try this at least three times.

After you’ve finished your clearing breaths you can begin applying those counts to each portion of the breath: 4 counts inhaling through the nose, 7 counts holding the breath and 8 counts exhaling again through the mouth slowly and with control.

Note that the breaths are divided by counts and not by seconds, the ratio of the different parts of the breath to each other are what produce the results we’re after, although going slower is the goal. To greater focus our mental energies on the breath, we place the tip of the tongue up against the roof of the mouth throughout the entirety of the practice. There will often be times your mind wanders and you will find your tongue has lost its concentration as well, this is perfectly normal and the reason we call this a practice. When you find you have drifted mentally from your breath take a moment to recenter and begin again, placing the tongue back to the roof of the mouth and diving into the next cycle of breathing. The great thing about this technique is that it only takes a handful of minutes to begin experiencing the benefits of alleviating stress and anxiety which is a great reinforcement for continued practice which will only produce more refined results.

This technique is a wonderful introduction to the healing powers of the conscious breath for newly intrigued knowledge seekers, young children, elders or anyone who is looking to expand their understanding of the universe within and without. We encourage you to practice this next time you are feeling overwhelmed or just in need of a quick re-centering. It is by far one of my favorite techniques because of its accessibility, ease of practice and quick noticeable results. We hope you find this technique as useful as we have and that you feel inspired to incorporate it into your daily life as well as share it with friends and your loved ones! If you are interested in more whole self wellness techniques, read our blog about Spiritual Anchors