Breathing exercise · 3 · 6
3-6 breath (3 · 6) for deep focus, when your attention is scattered
Simple counts — 3 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 3 counts to breathe in, and 6 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Scattered attention is the raw material, not an obstacle. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
Long exhales are easy to do quietly, at a desk, in a queue, without anyone noticing.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 3s |
One round is 9 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 54 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
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.