Quick Breathing & Meditation Guide (Click to open) Close your eyes. Relax your shoulders and unclench your jaw. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four. Pause briefly at the top—just a heartbeat. Exhale gently through your mouth, lips slightly pursed, for a count of eight. If thoughts wander in, simply notice them without judgment. Acknowledge them, say “Not now,” and place them in an imaginary balloon. Watch it float away. Return to your breath. Settle into the rhythm. Optional mantra: “I am here. I am calm.” or “Peace in, stress out.”