It's My Birthday and I'll Breathe if I Want To

Spoiler: I always want to. Here’s how I use breathwork every single day.

I got a really sweet compliment from someone the other day (hi, Tori!) — she said she’s on my list, did some box breathing this week, and wanted to thank me.

Cue the warm fuzzies.

This is exactly the kind of impact I want to have. Making breathwork feel doable. Casual. Part of life, not a whole separate thing with a life of its own.

I know people with meditation-and-breathwork routines that take well over an hour each morning. Which is incredible. I admire the commitment. And I cannot imagine doing it myself.

My own breathwork routine is a bit less… structured. More like a rhythm that runs in the background of my day.

It’s in my transitions.

When I wake up, I breathe.

As I sit down at my desk, I breathe.

After lunch, I breathe.

When I finish work, I breathe.

Before bed, I breathe.

None of these are long sessions – they’re usually around 3 minutes a pop. But those few minutes change things. They reset my energy, re-center my focus, and remind me that I’m a human being and not a productivity bot.

I also breathe in traffic. At red lights. While standing in line. When I need a break or a boost. Sometimes I do a few rounds of box breath just because I feel like it. Other times I notice that my shoulders feel tight or my jaw is clenched, and that’s my cue to slow down and breathe.

It’s not a rigid practice. It’s a tool I use to make life feel a little calmer, a little lighter, a little more me.

Fun fact: I named my company 44 Breathwork when I was 44 — partly as a nod to box breathing (breathe in, hold, out, hold for 4 counts each). It’s one of the first breathwork techniques I fell in love with. Still one of my go-tos.

This year, I’m turning 46 — and I’ve unofficially declared the 4-6 breath my “breath of the year.” That’s four seconds in, six seconds out. It’s simple, grounding, and soothing as hell. It’s got enough structure to stay present, and enough softness to feel like an exhale for your entire being.

Because if I’m going to age, I might as well do it with a calm nervous system.

Here are a few of the breaths I come back to again and again:

✔️ Box breathing: when I need focus, grounding, or calm.
✔️ Resonant breathing: for general regulation, especially in between tasks.
✔️ 20 fast breaths: for a burst of energy.
✔️ 10 full belly breaths in bed: like a lullaby for my nervous system.
✔️ 4-6: when I feel stressed or want to slow down without overthinking it.

It’s not fancy. It’s not long. But it works — because I do it. And that’s the point I want to make.

You don’t need to carve out a whole hour and sit on a cushion. You just need to breathe with purpose a few times a day.

That’s the secret. That’s the magic. That’s how this becomes a habit — and not just another thing on your wellness to-do list.

So yeah. It’s my birthday. And I’m raising a glass (let’s make it a Last Word) to this practice, to the fact that something as simple as the breath can have such a powerful ripple effect, and to you for celebrating with me.

And if you want to get started with your own breathwork routine — one that’s easy, doable, and totally non-intimidating — I’ve got just the thing.

Sign up for the free Full Exhale newsletter and I’ll send you my 5 Breaths in 5 Minutes kit. It’s packed with short videos, printable cue cards, and easy instructions so you can start where you are.

Let’s make this the year you breathe more — without making it a whole thing.

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Last Gasp

“Age is simply the number of years the world has been enjoying you.”

— Unknown