"For some people, deep breathing exercises work like a charm. For others, not so much. If you fall into the latter category, you might enjoy the "five-finger breathing" technique, which adds a little something extra into the mix. On TikTok, creators are sharing their love for five-finger breathing, including user @mindfullymadetherapy, who said, "Sometimes just breathing isn't enough, and you need a coping skill that's multi-sensory [or] involving other senses to help distract or calm down the brain.""
"That's what sets this technique apart: It isn't just about closing your eyes and slowly inhaling and exhaling. It also includes a mini grounding technique. As you breathe in and out, you're supposed to trace the outline of your open hand, breathing in as you trace up the side of one finger, and out as you trace down the other."
Five-finger breathing pairs slow inhalations and exhalations with tracing the outline of an open hand, inhaling while tracing up one finger and exhaling while tracing down the next. The technique adds tactile stimulation and movement to breathwork, creating a multisensory grounding tool that distracts from racing thoughts. Tracing and touch provide a physical anchor while rhythmic breathing activates the vagus nerve, promoting a shift from fight-or-flight toward rest-and-digest. Users report reduced overthinking and faster calming than breath-only techniques. The method is simple, portable, and can be practiced anywhere to steady attention and regulate physiological arousal.
Read at Bustle
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