Two months after catastrophic earthquakes devastated her hometown of La Guaira, Venezuelan expat Maria Medina found herself lying awake night after night in Florida, powerless and overwhelmed by fear for her family and friends more than 1,500 miles away. The 31‑year‑old, who has lived in the US for 15 years, says the emotional toll was relentless until she turned to a simple technique she first learned during another difficult chapter of her life.
Box breathing became her anchor.
“In moments where I feel that there isn’t much that I can do, like lying in bed at night and staring at the ceiling… I know it’s going to help me,” she says. The method, which she discovered in 2020 while juggling a full‑time job and a master’s degree during the height of the Covid pandemic, was taught to her by a therapist when stress became overwhelming.
The technique is straightforward but powerful. According to breathwork coach Stuart Sandeman, box breathing involves inhaling for four seconds, holding for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding again for four seconds before repeating the cycle. For Maria, those steady counts have become a lifeline — a way to reclaim calm when fear and helplessness threaten to take over.
As she continues to navigate the emotional aftermath of the disaster in Venezuela, box breathing remains her nightly ritual, offering a moment of control in a situation where so much feels beyond her reach.
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