Welcome to Week 1
Over the next 4 weeks you can follow Billy on a quest deep into the Forest as he tries to escape the anxiety monster that is following him.
You will meet a different creature in each level who will teach you and Billy how to breathe with ease, to overcome the anxiety monster, and learn breathing mastery.
Level One
In this level the idea is to quieten your breathing down, and breathe in and out through your nose, into your relaxed tummy, not your chest. This is a great way to calm your body and your breathing so that you feel more in control in your daily life.
With each level you and Billy will gain a chakra empowerment stone, as you venture deeper into the forest. When you play the level, there will be a start button to press, which will explain what you need to do.
Daily Practice
Follow the breathing practice with Billy. Every minute you will be asked to take a breath in and out through your nose, and press the pause button at the end of your outbreath and hold your nose. When you need to breathe in again, you let go of your nose and press play. Repeat this five times as you will be instructed by the video.
The aim is to increase the length of your control pause with each level – the length of time you can hold your nose, from the end of your out breath to your next in breath, when you feel the need to breathe in again.
You must be able to go back to quiet nose breathing immediately after you let go of your nose. If you mouth breathe or breathe faster you have held your nose for too long.
Your Control Pause
Your control pause or CP is the length of time you can comfortably pause your breathing from the end of your out-breath, to your next in-breath, when you feel the first urge to breathe in again- the length of time you can hold your nose.
You will be asked to do various actions whilst you hold your nose, so you can pause for longer.
As soon as you feel the urge to breathe, you can let go of your nose and press play. Return to quiet nose breathing immediately and keep your lips together and shoulders dropped.
Once you can easily pause for 5 seconds you can start Level Two.
Relax into Air Hunger
To increase your control pause by holding your nose for longer periods of time, you can start to soften your body so you can become comfortable with the feeling of a little bit of air hunger. The idea is to relax your body with the feeling of air hunger, so you can keep your breathing quiet and steady even when you are under pressure, rather than tensing up.
The aim of each level is to pause for 5 seconds longer than the previous level. It’s really important to go at a pace that’s right for you.
You will complete Level One when you can comfortably pause for 5 seconds at the end of your outbreath, holding your nose. You must be able to return to gentle, quiet nose breathing, immediately as you let go of your nose.
Level Two
In Level 2 of the first week, you will be asked to pause for 10 seconds, or longer if you can, at the end of the outbreath. You can repeat this 5 times and remember to record your results by selecting the submit my results button at the bottom of the dashboard.
You will increase your progress faster by practising at least two or three times a day. For best results it is good to practice before each meal. It is harder to pause for longer when you have a tummy full of food.
Before you begin, watch the introduction video and follow the instructions on the nose clearing video.
You can find your results by scrolling up to hover over the courses tab and clicking on the minidashboard. Here it will record the three levels you have completed each day. If you practice more than 3 times in a day then one of the results will be overwritten.
You can practice Level One and Two in the same practice session or just one level in each practice session. The more you practice the faster your scores will improve.
Only pause for the length of time that is comfortable for you, no matter what level you are on.
If you can pause for more than 10 seconds in the first week, that’s great. The second video that plays will record the length of time you can pause for. So if you feel you can pause your breathing for longer, then you can. But make sure that you can return to slow, quiet nose breathing immediately.
Daily Walk with Nose Breathing
In the first week it is a good idea to have a daily walk for 20 minutes with nose breathing. If you get out of breath, then stop, regain your nose breathing before you continue again. Walk at a comfortable speed for you.
Mouth Taping
This week it’s also a good idea to practice taping your mouth with microporous tape, for 20 minutes on an evening whilst you read a book, for example. This helps to keep you nose breathing, even when you’re not thinking about it.
Tear off a 5 cm strip of tape, you can stick it to your arm first so it is less sticky, then fold over both ends so it is easier to take off. Tape your mouth vertically, so you can take in some air at the sides if you need to.
If you are using this at night remember to cut a slit in the tape, by folding it in half and cutting part way through the middle. Then you can also tape horizontally but still have a gap if you need it.
Do not tape your mouth if you feel sick and remember to do your nose clearing exercises that you learn in level one before you tape your mouth.
Remember to relax your chest, keep your belly soft, and don’t hunch over, so you can breathe gently with your tummy.
Tick the boxes in the dashboard if you have completed your daily walk and mouth taped for 20 minutes.
If you have any problems, or successes, remember to write them in the comments box, which will be recorded on your minidashboard for you to see how you are progressing.
Importance of Nose Breathing
Nose breathing is good for warming and filtering the air, and also slowing the air as it goes into the lungs, so your lungs can stay more open and relaxed.
With nose breathing and control pauses you will learn how to breathe more easily and keep calm under pressure.
How to Progress to the Next Level
To complete level 1 you must be able to pause for 5 seconds.
To complete level 2 you must be able to pause for 10 seconds before you can move onto week 2.
Even if you move more quickly through the weeks and higher levels, for the best breathing mastery, it is ideal to practice for a minimum of 4 weeks.
When you are ready select Level 1 below to begin, and enjoy your adventure with Billy in…..
A Dragon Breath of Fresh Air.
Support materials visible to enrolled and non-enrolled users