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How to breathe so that you're more RELAXED! | @hubermanlab

2 Sept 2025 · 1 min

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In this segment, Andrew Huberman describes a simple breathing protocol—two consecutive inhales through the nose followed by a slow, prolonged exhale through the mouth—that he claims is the fastest method to shift the mind and body into a relaxed state. He explains that performing one to three cycles of this pattern can lower autonomic arousal to baseline, making it useful for anyone experiencing occasional anxiety. Huberman briefly touches on the physiological mechanism, noting that the technique maximally inflates the lung’s alveolar sacs, altering the carbon dioxide (CO₂) to oxygen (O₂) ratio, and that the extended exhale helps expel CO₂, thereby calming the nervous system. The excerpt concludes with a brief promotional line unrelated to the breathing guidance.

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Double inhales followed by an extended exhale are the fastest way that I'm aware of to bring the mind and the body into a more relaxed state. Two inhales through the nose and then exhale slow through the mouth. One to three of those repeated will bring your level of autonomic arousal down basically to baseline. But I think for anyone that experiences anxiety from time to time, which is everybody knowing that you can consciously take control over these neurons that control the ratio of carbon dioxide, oxygen in your lungs, etc, even if you don't remember any of that, it's just two inhales through the nose. What you're trying to do is maximally inflate those little sacs in your lungs and then exhale long through the mouth because you're blowing off carbon dioxide. The summit of greatness. Get your tickets today.