Breathing exercise · 2 · 1 · 4
2-1-4 breathing for the early months, when you are not sure this will work
A short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose for 2 counts, hold for 1. Then out for 4, slowly, without pushing. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
You can keep the in-breath completely ordinary. Only the out-breath needs to be longer.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 56 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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 Coherent 6-6 breathing exercise for Friday evening — if you are tired of apps, Uneven box breathing: 5 rounds for a hospital waiting room, when you need to stop thinking about work or 7-11 breathing — 7 · 11 — for the hours after people leave, before you go back to something hard.