Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
4-8 breath (4 · 8) for being unwell, when you are not sure this will work
A in for four, out for eight pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The hold, where there is one, is short. The work is in the length of the release, not the pause.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 8s | 4s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 144 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
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
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.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for jet lag, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, Beginner box breathing exercise for the commute — when the weather has kept you inside or Uneven box breathing exercise for Sunday evening — when you have more time than usual.