Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
4-8 breathing: 8 rounds for a grey day, when you are at home and cannot settle
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. Being at home and unable to settle is a very specific problem. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- 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.