Bonus Pranayama (4-7-8 Breathing) led by Dr. Gary Soffer

This guided pranayama meditation is led by Dr. Gary Soffer, allergist-immunologist and integrative medicine physician, and was recorded as part of our New Year conversation on health, healing, and self-care (episode 57).

In this practice, Dr. Soffer offers a gentle, accessible breathing technique drawn from yogic traditions and adapted by Dr. Andrew Weil. This practice is a gentle introduction to pranayama perfect for beginners. It is supportive for those managing food allergies, chronic illness, health anxiety, or caregiver stress.

This track is offered as a companion to the full podcast episode with Dr. Soffer, and can be revisited whenever you need a moment of grounding.

Follow Dr. Soffer on IG @garysoffermd

Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme!
www.kyledine.com

Find Dr. Whitehouse:
-thefoodallergypsychologist.com
-Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist
-Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist
-welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

Transcript

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Gary Soffer, MD 0:00

This is one of my favorite. It's pretty well known at this point, but it's been transformative for a lot of my patients and it's called a 4 7 8 breath. We breathe in through our nose for four seconds. We hold it for seven seconds and we breathe out through our mouth for eight seconds. And just like a triangle, we do it three times. Would you let me guide you in it?

Amanda Whitehouse, PhD 0:19

Absolutely. Can I be nerdy and before you guide us through it, will you explain a little bit of the science behind why that works?

Gary Soffer, MD 0:26

Really, I, I don't want to give too much scientific credibility to it, and I'd rather give traditional credibility to it, right? So it comes from the yogic tradition, it's pranayama breathing. There's plenty of science behind, activating our, our autonomic nervous system and activating our parasympathetic nervous system in these breath work exercises that they can be very calming. There's, there's evidence that oxygenation shifts with all of these breath work exercises, but, but really the honor goes to the traditional practice, which is pranayama breath. We gotta give credit to Andrew Weil, Dr. Weil, for for it though. He gives credit to somebody else, but as part of the lineage, I'll give credit to him.

Amanda Whitehouse, PhD 1:13

Thank you for sharing

Gary Soffer, MD 1:14

Yeah. Okay, so close your eyes. Just sit in a comfortable place, try to let your feet feel grounded on the floor and your hands grounded on your knees. And just connect for a second and when you're ready. You'll breathe in through your nose for four seconds. Hold for seven seconds and breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds. So let's begin in 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Out, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In. 2, 3, 4, hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Out, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 out. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and then just slowly come back into the room when you're ready and you might feel some tingling some lightheadedness, and that's normal.

Amanda Whitehouse, PhD 2:40

Lovely. Thank you for that.