Just remember 4-7-8 to fall off to sleep
Sleep Deprivation is one thing that plagues modern man, young or old.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise pioneered by Arizona based Dr Andrew Weil, will have you snoozing in 60 seconds or less.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no effort. The technique is based on pranayama,
an ancient Indian practice that means ‘regulation of breath.’
This technique requires you to rest your tongue gently on the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth, then inhale quietly
for a count of four through your nose, hold your breath for a count of seven, then exhale with a whooshing sound for a count of
eight through your mouth.
Repeat it four times and you’ll be amazed when you emerge feeling quieter and calmer.
Start practicing it now with these five easy steps:
1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Remember to rest your tongue gently on the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth
3. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
5. This is one cycle. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths
Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. ‘The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time,’ Dr Weil says.
Dr. Weil recommends practising sitting up with your back straight twice a day for six to eight weeks to perfect it.
May be you might not get it right the first time but it is amazing, as you keep trying you might just fall off to sleep.
You can also watch Dr. Weil demonstrating it: