Discover the Navy SEALs' Secret to Keeping Calm – Perfect for Equestrians!

What’s in today’s newsletter?  Benefits of Box Breathing for Equestrians. Today we share a quick exercise (it literally only takes one minute) practiced by Navy SEALS that you, too, can use to manage stress at horse shows. Box breathing is a simple but powerful method of focusing on your breath to help you get — and stay — calm.

You know the feeling. You’re in the warmup pen, with only a couple riders - maybe even just one- in front of you. You’re anxious, overwhelmed, your heart is pounding, and your stomach seems to keep creeping up higher and higher in your insides. While you’re sitting there on your horse trying not to freak out, some well-intentioned person gives you the advice, “Just breathe.” Ha! When you’re in the midst of a stressful moment, that can be much easier said than done.

You may have even tried to take a breath or two, and felt like it didn’t do much for you. When we’re anxious, we typically breathe shallowly and quickly, which actually creates more anxiety within your body! And I get it! While we’re breathing every second of every day, and not giving it much thought, using breath as a tool is a whole different animal. And can take a bit of practice to get the most benefit out of it.

Lowers stress

Did you know studies show regulating your breath can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and maybe even help lower blood pressure. That’s pretty powerful stuff, and we can all benefit from increased relaxation before a run!

Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

In case you aren’t familiar, in very basic terms, your sympathetic nervous system is basically your “fight or flight” system. Ready to help you out when sh*t hits the fan. And your parasympathetic nervous system is your “rest and digest” system that works to return the body to homeostasis after a fight or flight incident.

In times of stress, (cough, cough, like a horse show…) your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert. I’ll share today about an awesome tool for your toolbox called Box Breathing that can help you move out of the fight-or-flight state and into the parasympathetic nervous system. This technique is great because it’s simple, can be done anywhere and it has a potent effect on your physiology.

Box breathing is a form of yogic deep breathing employed by the United States Navy SEALs and stressed-out people everywhere. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by breathwork, this is the technique for you because this is just very simple breathing and counting. “Box breathing,” refers to the fact that a box has four sides. Imagine the sides of a box while you slowly count to four for a total of four times (4x4). Four counts of breathing in, four counts of holding your breath, four counts of exhaling and four more counts of holding after your exhale.

Cultivates inner calm

You don’t have to be stressed to benefit from this breath exercise. Practicing box breathing is an opportunity to bring mindfulness to your breath, which is a valuable practice even when you’re just chilling at home.

Box breathing allows you to slow your breath. And as you breathe, you’re also counting, which has a meditative aspect to it – bringing a powerful one-two punch as another tool to calm your nervous system and anchor you into the present moment.

So how do you do this box breathing?

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to master box breathing right away. Don’t obsess over going too slowly or too quickly. Just keep your breathing steady, and breathe gently without straining yourself.

• Step 0 (Get ready!): Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs.

• Step 1: Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. Pay attention to how the air fills your lungs and belly.

• Step 2: Hold your breath for a count of four.

• Step 3: Exhale for another count of four.

• Step 4: Hold your breath again for a count of four.

• Woot-woot! Repeat for three to four rounds.

How simple is that? I know you can do this! In fact, box breathing’s straightforwardness is part of its charm and what makes it so accessible and impactful.

If you’re new to any sort of breathwork, try incorporating it into your routine and just think of “practicing” it once or twice a day. Remember, four rounds of box breathing is only 64 seconds, so no excuses! One minute a day, whether you’re feeling great, or you got the blues. Give it a try first thing in the morning, or after a long stressful day to help unwind.

Make practice a habit and keep going

It’s pretty normal to have a hard time keeping your breath steady for all those counts of four. But as horse people, we know the power of practice. This is the same: you can get better at it with a little bit of practice. Over time, it becomes easier, and you’ll be able to breathe in and out to four more easily.

PRO TIP: Work on your box breathing when you’re calm so you can utilize its power when you’re feeling anxious and nervous (yep, I’m talking about horse shows… and more!). Master this and you may even lower your body’s overall response to stress! The super-cool thing is our nervous system is not fixed, it’s bendy! You have the power to change it by learning how to be less responsive to stress and how to calm that response.

Thanks for riding along with us! Try this out and let me know how it goes! Or if you have a favorite breathing technique for riders, let me know about it! I read every reply.

Happy Trails,

Nicole

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