Breathing exercise · 2 · 1 · 4
2-1-4 breathing: 10 rounds for being unwell, when nothing else has worked today
Rounds of 2 · 1 · 4, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 2 counts to breathe in, hold for 1, and 4 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Nothing else has worked today. That is not a reason to skip this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The out-breath is where the release happens. The in-breath is just the setup.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 2s | 0s |
| Hold | 1s | 2s |
| Exhale | 4s | 3s |
One round is 7 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 70 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- while you are waiting for something to start
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
Please note
If holding your breath makes you dizzy or uncomfortable, skip the holds entirely and breathe slowly and evenly instead. Never push through lightheadedness. If you are pregnant, or manage a heart, blood pressure or lung condition, check with a doctor before doing breath holds.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Box breathing: 6 rounds for the commute, if you are new to this, Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for the commute — if you are fitting this around other people or Slow box breathing: 5 rounds for a lonely evening, on a day that started badly.