Use normal-sized, quiet breaths. Let the lower ribs and abdomen move without forcing. The default practices contain no breath-holds and are the complete foundation of this program.
Slow-paced breathing can change heart-rate and blood-pressure rhythms while you practise and may help some people feel less activated. Average stress and mood benefits across studies are modest and not universal. A larger HRV oscillation during slow breathing is partly produced by the breathing pattern itself and is not proof of permanent autonomic change. This is educational practice, not treatment. © 2026 Ken Hoyer / Body Plus Fitness.