Practice: The 4-8 Breath: A Simple Path to Nervous System Regulation

Take a deep breath and join us for a transformative journey into the power of conscious breathing. Today's episode features a guided 4-8 breathing practice that serves as both a nervous system reset and a gateway to manifestation.

As day seven of our 30-day manifestation challenge, this episode centers on a deceptively simple yet neurologically profound breathing technique. The practice invites you to inhale for a count of four and extend your exhale to a count of eight – a pattern that activates your parasympathetic nervous system and shifts you into a state of calm receptivity. Lizzy guides you through this practice with gentle cues, creating space for you to experience firsthand how just ten intentional breaths can transform your energetic state.

What makes this practice especially powerful is its connection to manifestation. Rather than approaching your dreams and desires from a place of striving or hustling, this breathwork creates the internal conditions for effortless co-creation. The guided session incorporates grounding affirmations that reinforce your capacity to receive and align with what you're calling in. As Lizzy beautifully reminds us, "You don't need to hustle your way through manifestation. You can breathe your way there."

Whether you're feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or simply disconnected from your purpose, this portable practice offers an immediate pathway back to center. Bookmark this episode and return to it whenever you need to regulate your nervous system and open yourself to the possibilities that await when you approach life from a place of presence rather than pressure. Ready to transform your relationship with manifestation? Your journey begins with a single breath.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Modern Zen Collective Introduction
• 0:45 Guided Breathwork Practice Begins
• 1:46 4-8 Breathing Technique Explained
• 4:25 Affirmations and Gentle Awakening
• 9:36 Final Thoughts on Manifestation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Hi, I'm Lizzie and I'm Nikki. Have you ever felt that your life was missing purpose, joy or deep connection? Welcome to the Modern Zen Collective Podcast, where we embrace holistic living for a joyful, purpose-driven life. In today's episode, we will be sharing one of the practices we use to help us release, receive, come back into alignment and connect with the divinity within and all around us. We hope you enjoy it and continue to join us weekly on the Modern Zen Collective Podcast, elevating your mind and spirit. And now today's practice.

Speaker 1: 1:04

Hi, love, welcome to this guided breathwork practice. Lizzie here, and I'm so honored to be here on day seven of our 30-day manifestation challenge. Today we're going to be doing a 4-8 breathing practice. It is a simple but very powerful technique that helps to regulate your nervous system. It allows you to calm down, slow down, move into that rest and digest. So that's what we're going for here, and if there's any point in your day where you ever feel like you're just too frantic or moving a little too quickly, I highly recommend coming back to this practice. We're going to be inhaling and exhaling through our noses for a count of four on the inhale and a count of eight on the exhale, if you choose to do this at any time on your own, I always recommend doing it for 10 breaths because it takes at least six to get that nervous system to change, to flip into that, rest and digest. So at a minimum, six, but ten, is always a good number, good round number, when you're doing any sort of breathwork practice on your own.

Speaker 1: 2:22

So just take a moment to find a comfortable position and we'll begin in a moment. Allow yourself to be maybe seated with a nice and tall spine, or allow yourself to lie down, if that feels better today, with your palms open up and relaxed. Close your eyes, if you haven't already done so, and gently bring your awareness to your breath, notice what it's like. And now take a moment to notice your body. Are there any places of tension that you can just release and let go? Just settle back in and take a deep, cleansing breath in through the nose and let it all go. The mouth, let your body begin to soften. Roll out those shoulders, relax your jaw, allow your belly to soften and invite your breath to move deeper. Now let's begin this 4-8 breath together and I'll count the first few rounds for you and then we'll move into silence.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Now let go of all of the breath in your belly, in your chest, and inhale through your nose for one, two, three, four. Exhale through the nose eight, seven, six, five, four, three, 3, 4,. Exhale 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,. Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, exhale 8, 7, 6, 5, four, three, two. One. Inhale one, two, three, four. Exhale eight, seven, six, five, four, 3, 2, 1. Now continue on your own for a few more rounds, inhaling through your nose for 4. And exhaling through your nose for 8. Allow your breath to be your anchor, let the exhale lengthen and let the body settle.

Speaker 2: 6:50

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Speaker 1: 7:11

If your mind wanders, just slowly bring it back to your breath, bring it back to the counting and just continue.

Speaker 2: 7:23

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Speaker 1: 8:10

Now slowly let go of any counting and allow yourself to return to your natural breath, feel the stillness you have created and notice what it feels like in your body to be calm, centered and ready. Repeat, silently or out loud I am grounded, I am present, I am open to receive, I am ready to co-create with ease and trust. Now let's bring some movement back in. Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes, maybe roll out your wrists. Wiggle your fingers and your toes, maybe roll out your wrists or your ankles or your shoulders, and take a final deep breath in through the nose and sigh it all out through the mouth. And, whenever you're ready, slowly fly your eyes open and welcome back. If this practice supported you today, just return to it anytime you feel scattered or disconnected. Don't need to hustle your way through manifestation. You can breathe your way there. So, honored to walk beside you this month, let's go co-create something beautiful. I'll see y'all next time. Have a great day.

Speaker 2: 10:06

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