5 Breath Rituals That Make You Unshakable (And Take Under 10 Minutes)

You don’t become unshakable by “staying positive.” You become unshakable by practicing peace in your body, on purpose, in small moments you can actually repeat. The provided reference document keeps it simple: breathe deeply (using “4, 4, 4, 4” or “4, 7, 8”), forgive, and build a daily habit of gratitude, especially in the morning and at night. Do that long enough, and “peace inside” stops being an idea and starts becoming your default.

Below are five short breath rituals you can use in real life, each under 10 minutes.

Why breath works when your mind won’t cooperate

The reference document tells the truth many of us learn the hard way: you can’t think your way into peace when life is loud. As one contributor puts it, we don’t all get to live “as monks up on the hilltop,” so we have to learn how to “cultivate that peace within ourselves,” and not expect the outside world to hand it to us.

There’s a second line that lands even deeper: “peace is anchored and expressed from the heart, not from the mind.”

That’s why breath is such a practical doorway. Breath brings you out of the mental swirl and back into the body, where peace can be felt again.

A gentle note first (important): The reference document emphasizes that the information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. If you have health concerns or medical conditions, consult a qualified healthcare provider before trying breathing practices, especially those with breath holds.

Ritual 1: The “Be Here Now” Breath (when your day starts too fast)

The reference document opens with a simple, steady reminder from Lao Tzu:

“If you are depressed, you are in the past.If you are anxious, you are in the future.If you are at peace, you are in the present.”

This ritual is how you return to the present before the day pulls you away.

Time: 2 minutesBreath: Box breathing (4, 4, 4, 4)

Do this:

1. Stand or sit up in a chair with both feet on the floor.
2. Inhale for 4.
3. Hold for 4.
4. Exhale for 4.
5. Hold for 4.
6. Repeat 4 rounds.

**Add this (10 seconds):**A friend in the reference document shared a sweet reframe: instead of counting “one Mississippi,” she counts “one Let’s Be Peace, two Let’s Be Peace…” Try it while you breathe. Let the words soften you from the inside.

Ritual 2: The “Ask Your Gut” Breath (when you need a clear answer)

Stress gets louder when you’re trying to decide something and your mind won’t stop arguing with itself. The reference document offers a grounded way through: breathe deeply, then ask yourself the questions. Feel in your “gut.” If you feel good, proceed. If you’re unsure, wait and ask again. If your gut feels off-balance, that’s an answer too, move on.

Time: 3–5 minutesBreath: 4-7-8 breathing

Do this:

1. Inhale for 4.
2. Hold for 7.
3. Exhale for 8.
4. Repeat 4 rounds.

Then ask (quietly, honestly):

• “Does this feel good in my gut?”
• “Do I feel off-balance?”
• “Do I need to wait and ask again?”

This isn’t about forcing certainty. It’s about returning to self-trust.

Ritual 3: “Breathe Peace In, Breathe Out What Is Not Peace” (morning and night)

One contributor in the reference document shares a practice she has dedicated her life to: “breathe peace into my body each morning and night before retiring, and breathe out what is not peace … i.e. judgment, anger, bitterness, resentment, etc.”

Simple words. Big results.

Time: 5 minutesBreath + focus: Inhale with the word “peace,” exhale to release what is not peace

Do this:

1. Inhale slowly, and in your mind hold the words "Let’s Be Peace"
2. Let the feeling of peace settle into your heart.
3. Exhale and let go of what you’re carrying (judgment, anger, fear, resentment).
4. Repeat until your body feels quieter.

The contributor also names what happens over time: this practice helped her trust she could handle whatever comes, and it built confidence and a steadier ability to find solutions. That’s unshakable, not because life stops shaking, but because you stop abandoning yourself when it does.

Ritual 4: The Forgiveness Breath (when you’re gripping a story you can’t release)

The reference document doesn’t make forgiveness fluffy. It makes it freeing.

One contributor writes: “The more we forgive, the freer we are!” Another says it even more bluntly: “Peace demands forgiveness.”

And there’s a practical tool you can actually use, the ho’oponopono phrases Dr. Len used like mantras:

“I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you!”

The document is also clear: saying these words doesn’t mean you agree with what happened. It means you’re addressing the part inside you that needs to be seen, acknowledged, and liberated.

Time: 4 minutesBreath: Box breathing (4, 4, 4, 4) + forgiveness phrases

Do this:

1. Do 2 rounds of box breathing.
2. On each exhale, repeat one phrase:
   • Exhale: “I am sorry.”
   • Exhale: “Please forgive me.”
   • Exhale: “I love you.”
   • Exhale: “Thank you.”
3. Repeat the cycle slowly until your chest loosens.

If your mind argues, you’re not doing it wrong. Keep breathing. Let the body catch up.

Ritual 5: Gratitude Before Your Feet Hit the Floor (and before you fall asleep)

The reference document calls gratitude “a gateway” that can shift us into peace. It also gives a detail most people overlook: the written word has more energy and impact than a thought. So writing (even one line) matters.

The "Let’s Be Peace" book author, Karen also shares her own habit plainly: she does her gratitudes before she gets out of bed each morning, and again at night before falling asleep.

Time: 2–6 minutesPractice: 3 breaths + 3 gratitudes

Do this:

1. Take 3 slow breaths.
2. Say (or write) three lines:
   • “I am so grateful for ___ because ___.”
   • “I really appreciate ___ because ___.”
   • “I feel so blessed that ___ because ___.”

That “because” matters. It turns gratitude from polite words into a real emotional shift.

Peace is a practice, and you only need one that you’ll repeat

The reference document is honest: peace isn’t “snap your fingers, I want to be at peace now.” It takes practice, and you give yourself time.

So choose one anchor:

• Morning: Ritual 1 or Ritual 5
• Night: Ritual 3 or Ritual 5
• In the middle of life: Ritual 2 or Ritual 4

Then try this simple question: What would change in my health, my relationships, and my choices if I stopped waiting for peace, and practiced it twice a day?