Breathing exercise · 4 · 6
4-6 breath (4 · 6) for a grey day, if you are new to this
Rounds of 4 · 6, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 4 counts to breathe in, and 6 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Nothing here assumes you have done this before. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Because the exhale is long, the next inhale usually arrives on its own, without you having to pull for it.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 4s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 50 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- There are no holds in this one, which makes it a good choice if breath-holding makes you anxious.
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 for the commute, when you are on your own, 3-6 breath (3 · 6) for a cold morning, when you are somewhere unfamiliar or Double-inhale sigh — 3 · 8 — for Sunday evening, on a day that started badly.