Breath of the Week: Messy Contentment with Erin Ortbals

Welcome to a new feature, Breath of the Week, featuring one of our favorite breathing sessions from our membership platform each week. This practice, led by Erin Ortbals, is about embracing the messiness of being human while deepening your sensitivity to CO₂. It includes breath retention, soft hums, and a powerful reminder to be with what is, not what should be.

“To be human is to be messy — so here’s to messy contentment.” 💛

Practice Breakdown:

Warm-up:

  • 5 rounds of:
    4 in / pause / audible out (shh or hum) / pause
    (Great for boosting nitric oxide—especially if you wake up stuffy)
  • 5 rounds of:
    4 in / 2 hold / 3-part out
  • 2 rounds of through-pathway breathing

CO₂ Sensitivity Practice:

  • 2 minutes of retention with sips only when needed
  • Repeat the same after a round of connected breathing to notice the shift

Close with:

  • A moment of gratitude
  • A quote by Ian Kilroy reminding us that to want what we already have is enough

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