Breathing exercise · 4 · 6
4-6 breathing: 10 rounds for a night shift
Simple counts — 4 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
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 |
| 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
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- while you are waiting for something to start
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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 5-2-7 breathing, 7-11 breathing exercise for the morning after or 7-11 breathing for jet lag.