The Elevate Edit / Backstage Notes / Act 5

Do I have to breathe deeply to pause?

You can keep your eyes open. You can skip the breath.

By The Elevate Edit · Elevate Mindset Mastery · November 5, 2026 · Creative education

No. A pause can be as ordinary as feeling the chair beneath you, looking around the room or taking a sip of water. You do not need to produce a particular feeling.

Between scenes / A little room before your next line

Let the next line wait a breath.

Try this before replying to a tense text, between meetings, after a frustrating task, or before saying yes when you need a moment.

1 / Choose your moment.

Sit comfortably. Let your feet rest on the floor. You can keep your eyes open. Pick one ordinary moment to pause before you respond.

2 / Choose one way to breathe out.

Sigh it out.

Take a comfortable breath in through your nose.
If comfortable, take one small extra sip of air through your nose.
Breathe out slowly through your mouth with a soft “haa.” Let it end naturally.

The double-inhale version is often called a physiological sigh. Keep it gentle; no breath-holding.

Hum it out.

Take an easy breath in through your nose.
Keep your lips gently closed and your jaw relaxed.
Breathe out with a quiet “mmm” at a comfortable pitch. Stop the hum whenever you need your next breath.

A separate optional variation. Humming was not the breathing protocol tested in the study below.

3 / Return to your next choice.

Return to ordinary breathing. Ask: “What do I want to say or do next?” For example: “I’ll reply after lunch,” “Can you explain what you mean?” or “Let me check before I say yes.”

One comfortable cycle is enough to explore. You can also breathe normally, feel the chair or sip water. Stop if dizzy, breathless or uncomfortable. You do not need to feel calmer to continue.

Behind the breath / Stanford research

A 2023 Stanford University study by Melis Yilmaz Balban, David Spiegel, Andrew Huberman and colleagues tested five minutes of daily breathing practice for one month. Exhale-focused cyclic sighing showed greater improvement in positive mood and a greater reduction in resting breathing rate than mindfulness meditation.

The trial studied repeated daily practice, not this one-cycle invitation. It does not establish a guaranteed effect, validate Reset Outbreath™ or the Inner Cast workshop, or show that a single sigh treats anxiety.

Read the study · Cell Reports Medicine, 2023
Read Stanford Medicine’s explanation
Research credit only; no Stanford or researcher affiliation or endorsement is implied.

An optional Reset Outbreath™ moment

If comfortable, gently inhale through the nose, allowing the belly and ribs/chest to move without forcing. A soft two-count hold is optional; skip it if uncomfortable. Exhale slowly through the mouth at an easy pace. One comfortable cycle is enough for this activity. Return to normal breathing or stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or uneasy.

Reset Outbreath™ and the physiological sigh are distinct practices. Choose one comfortable option rather than stacking exercises or trying to create a particular response.

Use an ordinary, comfortable breath or a non-breath option whenever that suits you better. This is optional wellness education, not a treatment or a substitute for medical advice.

Yilmaz Balban and colleagues, 2023, Cell Reports Medicine. Research is cited for context; no researcher endorsement is implied.

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