Breathing exercises
Every rhythm counted for you on screen, from 4-7-8 to box breathing to the physiological sigh. 2245 practices, all free, nothing to install.
How to use Coherent 4-4 breathing for the hours after people leave, when you need to stop thinking about work
The pattern is 4 · 4, which is four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Follow along →How to use Box breathing for Monday morning, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 4 · 4, which is four equal sides, like tracing a square.
Follow along →Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for heavy days, when you need something unremarkable
The pattern is 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, which is barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.
Follow along →3-6 breath (3 · 6) for a noisy room, after a difficult conversation
The pattern is 3 · 6, which is a gentle two-to-one ratio.
Follow along →3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for being unwell, when you are somewhere noisy
3 · 5 · 7 breathing: a staircase down: three, five, seven.
Follow along →Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a ten-minute window, after a long day
2 · 6 breathing: a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.
Follow along →Gentle box breathing — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for a night shift, when you are waiting for something
3 · 3 · 3 · 3 breathing: a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Follow along →4-7-8 breathing for a break at work, when the weather has kept you inside
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Follow along →2-1-4 breathing for a stolen moment of caregiving, on a day that started badly
A 2 · 1 · 4 rhythm — short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Follow along →Double-inhale sigh: 5 rounds for the middle of the night, when you are at home and cannot settle
A 3 · 8 rhythm — two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Follow along →Beginner box breathing: 5 rounds for a grey day, after eating too much
A 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 rhythm — the easiest version of the square.
Follow along →Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for a hot day, if you are tired of apps
A 4 · 4 · 8 rhythm — the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow along →Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for a hard week — when you have already had a long week
Rounds of 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →6-2-6-2 breathing exercise for days when everything is too much — on a low-energy afternoon
Rounds of 6 · 2 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →How to use Slow box breathing for a hard conversation, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
Rounds of 5 · 5 · 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →How to use 4-6 breathing for a big decision, when you have been on screens all day
Rounds of 4 · 6, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →How to use 4-2-6 breathing for Friday evening, when you have woken up too early
Rounds of 4 · 2 · 6, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →Coherent 6-6 breath (6 · 6) for physical discomfort, when the day has been loud
Simple counts — 6 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →7-11 breathing exercise for deep focus — if you have done this a hundred times
A 7 · 11 rhythm — a long, slow ratio for when you have time.
Follow along →Quick 2-1-2-1 breath (2 · 1 · 2 · 1) for exam nerves, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Simple counts — 2 · 1 · 2 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for the commute, if you have five quiet minutes
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →4-8 breathing — 4 · 8 — for coming down after exercise, when you have tried everything else
Simple counts — 4 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for a long illness, when you have just finished work
Simple counts — 5 · 2 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →Coherent 4-4 breathing for bedtime, when you are too tired to try hard
A four and four, if five feels like a stretch pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →Box breathing for travel days, when you are not sure this will work
A four equal sides, like tracing a square pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →Tight box breathing for jet lag, when you are not in the mood
A barely any hold, for people who dislike holding pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →3-6 breathing: 4 rounds for heated moments, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
A a gentle two-to-one ratio pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →3-5-7 breathing: 4 rounds for a reset, when you feel restless rather than tired
A a staircase down: three, five, seven pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →Physiological sigh: 4 rounds for a cold morning, when nothing else has worked today
The pattern is 2 · 6, which is a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.
Follow along →Gentle box breathing exercise for a long wait — when you are on your own
The pattern is 3 · 3 · 3 · 3, which is a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Follow along →4-7-8 breathing exercise for creative work — if you are fitting this around other people
The pattern is 4 · 7 · 8, which is in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Follow along →5-7 breathing exercise for Monday morning — when you have more time than usual
The pattern is 5 · 7, which is five in, seven out.
Follow along →How to use 2-1-4 breathing for heavy days, when you have been putting it off
The pattern is 2 · 1 · 4, which is short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Follow along →How to use Double-inhale sigh for a noisy room, if you are sceptical about all of this
3 · 8 breathing: two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Follow along →Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for the morning, when you are cold and want to be warm
2 · 2 · 2 · 2 breathing: the easiest version of the square.
Follow along →Soft 4-7-8 breath (4 · 4 · 8) for a study session, when you only have a few minutes
4 · 4 · 8 breathing: the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow along →7-11 breath (7 · 11) for a night shift, when you want something simple
7 · 11 breathing: a long, slow ratio for when you have time.
Follow along →Coherent 5-5 breathing — 5 · 5 — for a break at work, when you want to finish something
5 · 5 breathing: five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Follow along →6-2-6-2 breathing — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — for Sunday evening, when you are doing this for the first time
A 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 rhythm — even and rhythmic, with brief holds on both sides.
Follow along →Slow box breathing — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — for the morning after, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 rhythm — a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Follow along →4-6 breathing for anxious moments, before you go back to something hard
A 4 · 6 rhythm — in for four, out for six.
Follow along →4-2-6 breathing for a grey day, when you want to be left alone
A 4 · 2 · 6 rhythm — a short hold in the middle, a long way out.
Follow along →Coherent 6-6 breathing for a hot day, if you are new to this
A 6 · 6 rhythm — six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.
Follow along →Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing: 10 rounds for deep focus, when your attention is scattered
Rounds of 2 · 1 · 2 · 1, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →Uneven box breathing: 10 rounds for the hours after people leave, when you have been meaning to start
Rounds of 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →4-8 breathing: 10 rounds for a lonely evening, before something difficult
Rounds of 4 · 8, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →5-2-7 breathing exercise for a hard conversation — when the house is busy
Rounds of 5 · 2 · 7, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for a big decision — when the weather has kept you inside
Rounds of 4 · 4, with the counting done for you.
Follow along →Box breathing exercise for being unwell — when you are short on time
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →How to use Tight box breathing for a ten-minute window, on a day that started badly
Simple counts — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →How to use 3-6 breathing for the early months, when you are at home and cannot settle
Simple counts — 3 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for the commute, after eating too much
Simple counts — 3 · 5 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →Physiological sigh (2 · 6) for coming down after exercise, if you are tired of apps
Simple counts — 2 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow along →Gentle box breath (3 · 3 · 3 · 3) for a stolen moment of caregiving, if you have done this a hundred times
A a smaller square, for when four counts feels long pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 7 · 8 — for the middle of the night, when you have already had a long week
A in for four, hold for seven, out for eight pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →5-7 breathing — 5 · 7 — for travel days, on a low-energy afternoon
A five in, seven out pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →2-1-4 breathing — 2 · 1 · 4 — for jet lag, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →Double-inhale sigh for heated moments, when you need to stop thinking about work
A two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow along →Beginner box breathing for a hard week, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
The pattern is 2 · 2 · 2 · 2, which is the easiest version of the square.
Follow along →Soft 4-7-8 breathing for days when everything is too much, when you need something unremarkable
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 8, which is the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow along →If you feel dizzy at any point, stop and breathe normally. Gentle always wins.