A short breath that drops you into the rest-and-digest state before eating. The longer exhale gives the body a moment to soften before the meal.
Sitting down to a meal. Heating up something quick. About to break a fast.
Default 90 seconds (8 cycles). Take longer if you have it.
Slight relaxation in the jaw and belly. Hunger may register more clearly. The first bite tends to taste stronger.
Digestion is parasympathetic — most efficient when the body isn't in fight-or-flight. A long-exhale breath shifts dominance toward rest-and-digest in under two minutes.