Breathing exercise · 4 · 6
4-6 breath (4 · 6) for a hot day, when you want something simple
Simple counts — 4 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, out for 6. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Simple is the point. There is no advanced version to graduate to. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
Doubling the exhale changes the ratio your body uses to decide how safe it is.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 4s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- 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 Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for the hours after people leave — when you have been meaning to start, Box breathing for a ten-minute window, if you have five quiet minutes or Coherent 5-5 breathing for a hard week, before something difficult.