Breathing exercise · 4 · 6
4-6 breathing: 10 rounds for Monday morning, if you have five quiet minutes
The pattern is 4 · 6, which is in for four, out for six.
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. Five quiet minutes is enough. Ten is generous. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Most people find the out-breath easier to lengthen than the in-breath. This uses that.
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
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- No holds means no buildup. The rhythm does all the work.
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 4-6 breathing: 5 rounds for creative work, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, Physiological sigh (2 · 6) for creative work, when you want to finish something or Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for after exercise, when you only have a few minutes.