You can’t always control what’s happening around you, but you can always control your breathing. Watch the video below to learn what 4×4 box breathing is all about.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hockey player, parent or coach, this breathing technique works.

I used it back when I played in college and the pros to focus before the game. I would sit in the stands taping my stick before our team warm-up and once I was done taping, I would stare at the centre red line and do my box breathing. Sometimes I would close my eyes and visualize a specific play I wanted to make in the game and sometimes I would keep my eyes open and pretend I was watching myself out on the ice executing my game plan.

I used it on the bench in between shifts to regain focus. Again, I would stare at the red line on the boards and do 4 controlled breaths to leave the old shift in the past (whether it was good or bad) and focus on my next shift.

I used it when I would stretch at night to breathe into my muscles to promote better relaxation and recovery. It always helped me to calm down and fall asleep after the excitement of a big game.

Controlled breathing was a huge part of my mental and physical performance back when I played. If you had asked me back then, I probably wouldn’t have called it a secret to my success. But now that I’ve been teaching it to players & teams for 15 years and using it in my everyday life, I realize it was way more powerful than I gave it credit for back then.

Now I use controlled breathing when I’m playing squash and I feel myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I’ve only playing for two years and I’m a very competitive person so let’s just say that my expectations of my performance and my ability to execute don’t always match up. Doing one long controlled breath between points gives me back that little bit of control that I need to reset before the next point. I also use it when my 3 kids 6 and under are being little human tornadoes and my brain/day feels like it’s getting spun out of control.

So check out the video and try it out. It only takes a minute.

I hope it helps you gain a little bit more control today and the next time you’re at the rink.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCulllough, MSc, YCS

Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey