I met Mark Guay when I was studying at Group Coaching HQ, learning to be a better group coach. He was one of the guest coaches and what I love about Mark is the honesty and care he brings into every room he's in.

So when he asked if I wanted to share his 7-dimensional breathing practice with you, I said hell yes. And then I made myself do it first, because I'm not going to share something with you that I haven't tried myself.

I blocked off 10 minutes. I pressed play. And somewhere in those 10 minutes, something in me settled. And then got excited because it’s basically an embodied practice of the Co-Active Leadership model.

I enjoyed having my brain engaged the whole time because the directions kept shifting, up, down, forward, back, side to side, and then finally inward. Keeping me present. Keeping my focus.

I felt more grounded and present after those 10 minutes. And it’s definitely something I am going to challenge myself to try over the next 7 days in a start/end ritual.

7-Dimensional Breathing is a daily somatic practice that helps leaders anchor into the moment and show up with presence before stress takes them out.

When you breathe dimensionally and expand your awareness through the body, you expand your capacity over time. The more you practice, the more resilient you become to what work and life throw your way.

For me, it's become a ritual. I use it before I start work to set my intention for the day. And I come back to it after work, before I walk through the door at home, so I can actually be present for my family. Not half there, still carrying the day. Actually there.

And if you have kids? Teach it to them too.

This isn't about one deep breath before a hard meeting. It's a practice. The more you do it, the more you build the capacity to handle what comes your way. And each time you do it, you’re stretching your capacity in all 7 ways. Now how cool is that?!

Try 7D breathing! Mark recorded a 10 minute guided audio meditation.

If it resonates and you want to go deeper, sign up and get his free guided meditation plus the integration guide so you can implement it yourself.

And even deeper?
Build a ritual for yourself over the next 7 days. Try doing 7D breathing before you start your day and to end your day. See what you notice.

Want to challenge yourself?
Come back and tell us in the comments: what was your experience like with 7D breathing?

If you’re reading this via email, just click “Read Online” in the top right corner to view (and comment on) the web version.

With love and gratitude,
Jenn & Mark

P.S. You can learn more about Mark's work at markwguay.me.