4-6 breathing: 8 rounds for Friday evening, when you need something unremarkable

How it works

Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Then out for 6, slowly, without pushing. Nothing dramatic happens here, and that is deliberate. Let the physical world hold your attention.

Why it can help

You can keep the in-breath completely ordinary. Only the out-breath needs to be longer.

The pattern, in seconds

One round is 10 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
• when the weather has been grey for a week
• on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap

Tips

• Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
• If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
• Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.

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.