Five gentle, evidence-based breathing techniques you can use to support relaxation and calm during the busy holiday season with Source.
As the holiday season approaches, life often speeds up just when our bodies are craving a slower rhythm. Between end-of-year deadlines at work, social gatherings with friends and family, gift shopping and being of service to everyone (and often abandoning ourselves), and family commitments, it's easy to feel swept up in the whirlwind of doing. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, winter adds another layer. Darker days and colder weather naturally invite us to turn inward, to rest and restore. Yet, many of us push against this seasonal slowdown, leaving our nervous systems overstimulated and our minds overwhelmed.
We know this is a time to slow down, but in a world demanding we speed up, what can we do to support ourselves?
One of the simplest and most powerful ways to find balance during this busy time is through breathing. The Source App was founded on the demand for easy, accessible ways to learn and use the breath to heal. The way we breathe directly affects our nervous system, helping us shift from states of stress and "fight-or-flight" toward calm, connection, and grounding. By also working with the vagus nerve, a key communicator between the body and brain, mindful breathing can help us regulate our heart rate, lower cortisol levels, and cultivate a greater sense of ease.
Just a few minutes a day, pausing to take slow, intentional breaths, can transform how we move through the season. It's not about doing more, but about being more present. By engaging the body's natural calming pathways, we build resilience from the inside out, allowing us to meet the holidays not with exhaustion, but with grounded joy, gratitude, and peace. After all, our bodies know how to relax and heal; we just have to create the space to let it! Below you will discover five gentle, evidence-based breathing techniques you can use to support relaxation and calm during the busy holiday season with Source.
1. Box Breathing (Also named Square Breathing)
Try Gray Caws Box Breathing Class on the App
How to do it:
- Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
- Hold your breath for 4 counts.
- Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
- Hold again for 4 counts.
- Repeat for 3-5 rounds.
Benefits:
Steadies the nervous system, improves focus, and reduces stress. Great before social gatherings or travel.
Box breathing is a simple yet powerful technique to help you stay calm and centred during the busy holiday season. By inhaling, holding, exhaling, and pausing for equal counts, often four seconds each, you activate the body's parasympathetic nervous system, which helps lower heart rate and blood pressure. Scientifically, this process reduces cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone, promoting a sense of relaxation and focus. Practising box breathing for just a few minutes a day can help you navigate holiday stress with greater ease and mindfulness.
2. Extended Exhale Breathing
Try Malcome Boon The Lengthened Exhale on the App
How to do it:
- Inhale gently through your nose for 4 counts.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6–8 counts.
- Continue for several minutes.
Benefits:
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and lowering heart rate. Excellent before bed or after a long day.
Extended exhale breathing is a gentle, effective way to release stress and find calm during the hectic holiday season. By making your exhale longer than your inhale, for example, inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six, you naturally engage the vagus nerve, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and signals the body to relax. Research shows that this type of breathing can slow the heart rate and reduce anxiety, creating a sense of grounded ease. Just a few minutes of extended exhale breathing can help you feel more balanced, present, and ready to enjoy the season.
3. 4-4 Breath (Balanced Breathing)
Try Joely Franklin Balanced Breathing 4 Count on the App
How to do it:
- Inhale gently through your nose for 4 counts.
- Exhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts.
- Continue this even rhythm for several rounds, allowing your breath to flow smoothly and without strain.
Benefits:
This simple pattern helps create harmony between your body and mind by balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. The steady rhythm signals safety to your nervous system (much like the beat of a drum), activating the vagus nerve and encouraging your body to shift from stress mode into a calm, grounded state. Practising 4-4 breathing can ease anxiety, improve focus, and help you feel centred, especially during the busy, high-energy pace of the holiday season.
4. Bumblebee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)
Try Josh Seiler Bumblebee Breathing on the App
How to do it:
- Sit comfortably with your spine tall and shoulders relaxed.
- Close your eyes and gently seal your lips.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- As you exhale, make a soft humming sound, like the gentle buzz of a bumblebee. Feel the vibration in your throat, chest, and face.
- Continue for 4-6 rounds, letting the sound and sensation soothe your mind.
Benefits:
The gentle vibration created in Bumblebee Breath stimulates the vagus nerve, helping to calm the nervous system and reduce stress. The humming sound also quiets mental chatter, steadies your breathing rhythm, and encourages a deep sense of inner peace. This practice can lower heart rate, ease tension in the face and head, and help you reconnect to a feeling of harmony, a beautiful tool for finding calm amidst the noise and busyness of the season.
5. Sighing Breath (Physiological Sigh)
Try Mike Maher's Physiological Signs Class
How to do it:
- Take a deep inhale through your nose.
- Take a second, smaller sip of air to fully expand your lungs.
- Exhale slowly and audibly through your mouth.
- Repeat 2–3 times as needed.
Benefits:
Instantly reduces stress and helps release physical tension. Perfect between holiday errands or after a tense moment.
The physiological sigh is a quick, science-backed way to relieve tension and reset your nervous system, perfect for moments of holiday stress. It involves taking two short inhales through the nose (the second slightly deeper), followed by a slow, extended exhale through the mouth. This pattern helps release built-up carbon dioxide from the body and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting immediate relaxation. Studies from Stanford University have shown that just a few rounds of physiological sighing can significantly reduce stress and improve mood, helping you feel calmer and more centred.
As the holidays draw closer and the days grow shorter, remember that your breath is always available as a quiet anchor beneath the busyness. Each conscious inhale and exhale signals to your nervous system that it's safe to rest, reconnect, and return to balance. These small pauses are powerful acts of care that help you meet the season with calm, clarity, and presence.
If you're ready to explore your breath more deeply, the Source App offers hundreds of science-backed guided breathwork classes, from gentle daily practices to immersive live sessions, all designed to support your wellbeing and help you build lasting resilience.
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