

Inhale and exhale through the nose at all times, periodically checking that your facial muscles are completely relaxed, your lower jaw relaxed and your tongue heavy in your mouth. ‘Your breathing during this exercise should be soft, gentle, small and relaxed – you should not become dizzy or lightheaded. Your hands can rest by your sides or on your body. You can sit on the floor, but most people will be more comfortable sitting on the edge of a chair, with the hips higher than the knees. ‘Either lie down (legs flat or with your feet on the floor and knees together) or sit so that the spine is comfortably straight. ‘I call this exercise “battlement breathing” because it is in the shape of battlements, however you may have come across this exercise before as “box” breathing,’ says Farrell.
