As we close out the year (and our deep dive into the breathing patterns of the Pausing Point app) we finish with a rhythm that does something different. It doesn’t slow you down - it wakes you up!
In this final Pause Here episode of 2025, we explore Energise Breathing, a simple but powerful 4-2 pattern (inhale for four counts, exhale for two) designed to gently activate your nervous system without tipping into stress. Rooted in both ancient breath practices and modern neuroscience, Energise Breathing has been shown to boost clarity, improve heart-brain balance, and even support recovery from stress and PTSD. We explore why this pattern creates a rare state of calm activation - switched on but not scattered.
So, as the year winds down and a new one begins, take this rhythm with you - clear, steady, and ready for all the chaos yet to come!
- Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., Gemignani, A., & Piarulli, A. (2022). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 814885.
- Walker, J., & Pacik, P. (2017). Controlled rhythmic yogic breathing as complementary treatment for PTSD in military veterans. Medical Acupuncture, 29(4), 239–246.
- Skopp, N. A., Smolenski, D. J., Edwards-Stewart, A., & Reger, G. M. (2025). A pilot study of trauma-sensitive yoga and Breathe2Relax among service members in an intensive outpatient program. Military Medicine, 190(12), 115–124
- Saygin, M., Gevonden, M., & de Geus, E. (2025). Assessment of cardiac vagal control in daily life: Approaches to control for respiratory effects on respiratory sinus arrhythmia. OSF Preprint.
- Noble, D. J., & Hochman, S. (2019). Hypothesis: Breathing rhythms and brain rhythms are linked for cognitive control. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 971.
- Little, A. L. (2025). The A52 Breath Method: A narrative review of breathwork for mental health and stress resilience. Stress and Health.
- Lehrer, P. M., Vaschillo, E., & Vaschillo, B. (2003). Resonant frequency biofeedback training to increase cardiac variability: Rationale and manual for training. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 28(1), 1–11.
- Kim, S. H., Schneider, S. M., Bevans, M., Kravitz, L., Mermier, C., Qualls, C., Burge, M. R., & Burge, S. K. (2013). Mind-body practices for PTSD: Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stretching and deep breathing exercise. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 98(7), 2984–2992
- Khalsa, S. S., & Lapidus, R. C. (2019). Can interoception improve emotional self-regulation? Biological Psychology, 144, 25–34.
- Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts autonomic balance. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571.
- Hourani, L., Williams, J., Forman-Hoffman, V., Lane, M. E., & Weimer, B. (2018). Effect of stress inoculation training with relaxation breathing on PTSD in the military. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 23(1), 71–84.
- Haller, N., Mitzinger, S., & Cramer, H. (2023). Integration of yoga breathing techniques in cognitive...
