Breathing exercise · 4 · 2 · 6
4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for travel days, when you are too tired to try hard
Rounds of 4 · 2 · 6, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold for 2, out for 6. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
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 | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 72 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for the end of the working day, when you feel fine and want to stay that way, 3-5-7 breathing for a stolen moment of caregiving, after a difficult conversation or How to use 3-5-7 breathing for heavy days, when your attention is scattered.