Need More Focus and Calm? Try this 5 Finger Mindfulness Breathing Exercise
Bonus! This is great for kids too!
There are tons of great breathing exercises available that can help with anxiety and stress. I practice and teach several methods myself. One of my absolute favorites that I’m going to share with you is 5 Finger Breathing.
Why I love 5 Finger Breathing
Aside from being very easy, the reason I love this exercise is that instead of using only the breath, it engages multiple senses. Touch, sight, and sound.
Often, when we are anxious or stressed it can be a result of our “monkey mind” running amok. Think the constant chatter of various thoughts at once, going over multiple scenarios, ruminating on fears, a circle of overthinking, if you will.
Many of us also get pretty fidgety when we feel this way and will pick at or play with our fingers or rings. This exercise is great for those who struggle with stillness in other breath or meditation exercises.
Engaging more than one of our senses helps bring us out of our monkey mind to focus on the present, leaving less room for worrying thoughts to invade this space.
In this exercise, you focus on the breath (sound) while tracing the outline of your fingers in sync with your inhale and exhale (touch). At the same time, you are watching one finger as it moves along the outline of your other hand (sight). Then, you can begin to be aware of how your fingers feel (touch), noticing the texture and temperature of your skin, the rise and fall of each knuckle, the awareness of any rings you are wearing.
Bonus! This is a wonderful mindfulness exercise to teach children. It’s simple, even a bit fun, and can teach them simple ways to self-regulate and ease jitters. Even better, it’s an exercise you can do with them!
Next, I’ll explain how to do this exercise. I’ve also included a video demonstration as well if that’s more in line with your learning style.
How To Do 5 Finger Breathing
Hold one hand in front of you with fingers spread wide.
Place the tip of the index finger of the opposite hand (typically your dominant hand) at the base of the thumb.
Focus your gaze on where your finger and hand meet.
As you slowly inhale through your nose, use your index finger to trace up the side of your thumb.
When you reach the tip of your thumb, exhale as you trace down the other side.
Notice the sound of your breath as you proceed.
Repeat this inhale as you trace up, exhale as you trace down until you reach the outside base of your pinky finger.
Once you’ve reached the outside of your pinky finger, go back in reverse.
Inhale as you trace up the pinky, exhale as you come down. Repeating until your back to the base of your thumb.
Once you have the basic exercise down, begin to explore more with each round. Begin to focus on how your fingers and hand feel, how your breath sounds, etc. bringing it all together.
Tips:
Don’t speed through this exercise. Take nice, even inhales and exhales and keep a comfortably slow pace.
Keeping the eyes open is not required. Once you get the hang of it, you can try it with your eyes closed to further heighten your sense of touch and sound.
Repeat this sequence as many times as you like or need until you feel calmer and more focused.
That’s it! That’s all there is to it. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know in the comments what you thought of the experience.
Video Demo:
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