4-7-8 breathing for the early months

How it works

In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.

Why it can help

The pause at the end of a long exhale is usually longer than you expect. That gap is part of the exercise.

The pattern, in seconds

One round is 19 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 152 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• when you have read the same paragraph three times
• before a presentation, in the corridor
• at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold

Tips

• Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
• If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
• If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.

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.