Breathing exercise · 4 · 6
4-6 breathing: 6 rounds for a ten-minute window, when you have tried everything else
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. This assumes you have already tried the obvious things. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
It is hard to stay braced against something while breathing out slowly. The two do not sit well together.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 4s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 60 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
Tips
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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 Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for the morning, when your attention is scattered, Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for being unwell — when the weather has kept you inside or 5-7 breath (5 · 7) for Sunday evening, if you are doing this in the middle of the day.