Meditation 1 (Basic): Breathing Control (Calming Down)

Breathing Control (Calming Down)
This is the simplest way to stop whatever you are doing and connect to your inner peace and calm when you are experiencing a heightened state of stress. This meditation will teach you how to take charge of your nervous system and calm yourself down. It is the first technique you should learn, and once you master it, it can be used any time you are under pressure, triggered, angry or shocked. It is a deliberate activity of taking long, deep, slow breaths in and out, while holding your mental focus on the subtle details of breathing, and doing it consciously for a controlled period of time. This is an ancient bio-hack technique developed thousands of years ago by yogis in India, used to gain control of the nervous system and shift it out of fight-or-flight (sympathetic nervous system) into rest and digest (parasympathetic) operation. Because your body's breathing mechanism is linked to your nervous system, you can use mindful breathing to calm yourself down. You don't want to be reacting in life from your primal reptilian brain, the amygdala, when under duress. 
 
Why You Need It
You need this technique to be able to control your emotional responses when life gets wild. 
 
If you are someone who gets in arguments in relationships, and you raise your voice, slam doors, throw or hit things, shout or scream or cry, have meltdowns and rage at others when you get upset, and you think this is normal, then you need this. If you want your relationships with others to improve, you need to train yourself to be less reactive and stop exploding under pressure.
If you want a technique you can use to de-escalate situations when other people are freaking out, including children, then you need this. It is great for parents and teachers, and to teach to kids and teenagers, so they have a tool to down-regulate their own emotions. 
It is important to know if you work in a stressful job, supporting other people who may experience stress or fear, such as a police officer, emergency call operator, EMT, hospital worker, security staff, airline personnel.
If you have PTSD from experiencing overwhelming events, and are sensitive to being under pressure.
If you are easily triggered.
If you experience states of stress, anger, overwhelm, or fear.
 
It is the foundational practice to learn that gives you a base level of skill for connecting with your own peace and calm, anywhere at any time.