DR CHATTERJEE’S GUIDE

TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

WITH BREATHING
Why Changing The Way You Breathe Will Transform Your Body and Mind
BREATHING
It is the first thing we do when we arrive in the
world and the last thing we do before we leave.

It happens automatically 26,000 times a day

without us even having to pay any attention to
it, yet breathing is one of the only autonomic
systems in our body that we can control, if we
choose to.
BREATHING IS
INFORMATION
The more stressed you feel, the faster you breathe, and
your brain will notice this and read it as a signal that
things are not going well.

That fast, shallow breathing which happens when

you’re stressed is effectively telling your brain that
you’re running from a lion. But the reverse of this rule is
also true: if you breathe slowly, you’re giving your brain
a signal that you’re in a place of calm. You will start to
feel less stressed.

Studies have even shown that the right kind of

breathing can reduce our perception of pain. Both the
pace at which you breathe and how deeply you
breathe change your stress response. If all you do for
one minute is slow your breathing down and aim for six
breaths (one breath is in and out) in that minute, it will
reduce the stress state and stimulate the thrive state.
Breathing properly encourages full oxygen exchange, and that’s
been shown to help with a whole variety of conditions, whether it is
pain, depression or stress.

If you wake up stressed and anxious and you’ve not slept well, the
simple act of doing some deep-breathing practices will start
altering your biology and move you closer to thrive state. Breathing
is a wonderful therapy after experiencing a stressful incident. It’s a
way of telling your brain that things are OK, even if you don’t feel
that they are.
A DAILY PRACTICE
OF BREATHING
Breathing practice is especially worth considering if
you’re the kind of person who finds meditation difficult.

You don’t have to stick to the same practice each time.

Play around. Listen to your body. Experiment. I’m sure
that, within a few days, you’ll find a technique that
works for you. Aim to do at least one of these practices
every day. Even one minute per day of focused,
intentional breathing can make a big difference. Try
one of the breathing techniques I outline overleaf.
BREATHING MENU
Try one of these breathing practices to reduce stress, calm your mind, or
boost your energy. In the following pages I’ll take you through instructions for
each of the breathing techniques below:

3-4-5 BREATH
BOX BREATHING
NADI SHODHAN
KAPALABHATI
THE BEDTIME BREATHING PRACTICE
BREATHING EXERCISE

3-4-5 BREATH
I find that this breathing exercise can be extremely
effective for patients who are prone to anxiety or stress.
It could hardly be simpler.

Breathe in for three seconds

Hold for four seconds
Breathe out for five seconds

When your out-breath is longer than your in-breath, you

reduce the activation of your stress state and
encourage your body to move into a thrive state. You
can do a few rounds of this breath or extend it to take
five minutes.

Listen to your body and see what works for you.

WATCH THE VIDEO

 BREATHING EXERCISE

BOX BREATHING
This can be done at any time, but patients report to me
that it’s especially useful just before bedtime.

Breathe in for four seconds

Hold for four seconds
Breathe out for four seconds

Then hold for another four

Box breathing helps lower stress levels, calm the

nervous system and take your mind away from
distracting thoughts. It’s reported that Navy Seals use
this method to control their stress levels.
BREATHING EXERCISE

NADI SHODHAN
Alternate-nostril breathing can give a boost of energy as
well as help you fall asleep.

Sit comfortably, with your shoulders relaxed. Place your

right thumb on to your right nostril to block it and fully
exhale through your left nostril.

Breathe in through your left nostril for a count of four.

Place the ring finger and little finger of your right hand
on to your left nostril to block it. Release your right
thumb and breathe out through your right nostril for a
count of four.

At the end of the breath, keep your fingers where they

are and breathe in through the right nostril for four.
Place the thumb back over the right nostril and breathe
out through the left nostril. This is one cycle.

Start off by doing ten rounds. You can increase this as

you become more familiar with the practice.
 BREATHING EXERCISE

KAPALABHATI
Otherwise known as the ‘Skull Shining Breath’, this
forced diaphragmatic breath is a pretty intense exercise
but great for a quick pick-me-up.

As you take a full deep breath in through your nose,

your abdomen will expand. As you exhale, pull your
belly button in forcefully and actively, as if it’s going in
towards the spine. (It can be helpful to think about
throwing your breath out.)

After each exhale, as your abdomen expands again,

you’ll automatically start to inhale. Do ten to twenty of
these breaths. Afterwards, pay attention to how you
feel.

It is always best to learn this one from a trained yoga

instructor. Please avoid doing it on an empty stomach,
if you’re pregnant, have a stent or pacemaker or a
history of epilepsy or a hernia.
BREATHING EXERCISE

THE BEDTIME
1 BREATHING PRACTICE
Breathe in through your nose for three
This is one of my favourite breathing techniques to
seconds (breathing through your mouth is practise before bed. I learned it from the brilliant US
fine, if you are unable to use your nose). breathing researcher Brian Mackenzie. It’s simple, but

2
extremely powerful.

Have a brief pause. When you have a brief pause after inhaling, you help to
switch your body into a state of relaxation. Counting
3 your breath also helps redirect your mind away from
any anxious thoughts that you might have swimming
Breathe out through your nose for six around.
seconds.
Repeat this short breathing sequence as many times as
4 required. Sometimes, you may only need to do 1 minute
of this practice before you’re ready to fall asleep. On
Repeat. other nights, you may be doing it for 5–10 minutes
before you start yawning. Experiment and see what
works best for you.
BREATHING IS LIFE
Breathing is the first thing we do when we come into the
world and the last thing we do before our hearts finally stop.
Breathing is life. It’s the simplest human action there is and
yet the most fundamental. It brings fuel to the body and
mood to the brain. It allows our hearts to beat.

We can’t hope to bring our stress under control without first

bringing our breath under control. Stress and breath are
intimately linked. By spending just a few minutes each day
consciously working with it, you’ll feed your brain and body
the information that life is calm. When you’re strongly
focusing on your breath you’re creating a zone of stillness.

I want you to stop reading. For one minute, just breathe.

Breathe in for four seconds, hold for another four, breathe
out for four and hold for four more. Repeat four times.
“THE MIND IS THE KING OF THE SENSES
THE BREATH IS THE KING OF THE MIND”
- B.K.S IYENGAR
FEEL BETTER
LIVE MORE PODCAST
To learn more about the benefits of a breathing practice, I’ve
picked out some episodes from my Feel Better, Live More podcast
that will improve your breathing and transform your life.
Why Changing The Way You
Breathe Will Transform Your
Body and Mind with James Nestor
How we breathe affects every body system.

In this episode we discuss the long list of

“
conditions breathing may improve and James
reveals the therapeutic process behind some
‘super breathing’ techniques.

Whether you’re already practising breathwork,

you’re curious or yet to be convinced, James has By changing the way in which you
a no-nonsense, rigorous approach we can all take
something from.
breathe, you can actually change how
your mind is processing thoughts, and
feelings and emotions…
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST James Nestor

https://drchatterjee.com/124 Science Journalist and Author

 How Breathing Can Transform
Your Life with Brian Mackenzie
We react to every single situation in life with our
breath and we have the power to choose how we
respond to any situation by controlling our breath.
Amazingly, this can also affect how others will

“
respond back to us.

I understand that starting a breathing practice can

feel confusing. Brian’s advice on this is reassuring.
For him, breathwork is about giving it all a try,
To understand how you feel, you have to experimenting, learning and finding out what
works for you. I think that is wonderfully freeing
go in, you have to go to the base layer of and exciting.
what’s going on, and at the fundamental
layer of all this is breathing…
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Brian Mackenzie

Human Performance Specialist https://drchatterjee.com/113

How Breathing Through Your
Nose Will Change Your Life with
Patrick McKeown
Patrick believes breathing correctly – that is,
through your nose, lightly, and slowly – is the
secret to better health, fitness and overall

“
wellbeing. Yet many of us are breathing through
our mouths, breathing fast and shallow, and our
health is suffering as a result.

Patrick talks me through the science of exactly

why it is that nasal breathing is so fundamental to
health and he shares how learning it himself We have been trained how to think, but
transformed his sleep and his anxiety levels. we have not been trained how to stop
thinking…
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Patrick McKeown

https://drchatterjee.com/99 Author and Breathing Practitioner

MORE FROM DR CHATTERJEE
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 DR CHATTERJEE’S GUIDE

Website: https://drchatterjee.com

DISCLAIMER: The content in this document is not intended to constitute or be a

substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the
advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or
delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this document.