Breathing exercise · 4 · 2 · 6
4-2-6 breathing for bedtime, when you feel restless rather than tired
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. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The exhale is doing the counting for you, which means you have less attention left over to worry with.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- just before you have to say something difficult
Tips
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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 Soft 4-7-8 breath (4 · 4 · 8) for days when everything is too much, when you are at home and cannot settle, Physiological sigh: 5 rounds for the middle of the night, when you are somewhere noisy or Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for the morning after, when you are at home and cannot settle.