Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
4-8 breathing: 10 rounds for a hard conversation
Simple counts — 4 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. Scattered attention is the raw material, not an obstacle. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
You are not emptying your lungs, just taking longer to do it. The extra seconds are where the effect lives.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 8s | 4s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- There are no holds in this one, which makes it a good choice if breath-holding makes you anxious.
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 4-7-8 breath for a stolen moment of caregiving, 4-2-6 breath (4 · 2 · 6) for creative work or Physiological sigh for a hard week.