Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
4-8 breathing exercise for travel days — when you want to be left alone
4 · 8 breathing: in for four, out for eight.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 4 counts to breathe in, and 8 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
Long exhales are easy to do quietly, at a desk, in a queue, without anyone noticing.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 8s | 4s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 60 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
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- 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 Physiological sigh exercise for the early months — when you are cold and want to be warm, Soft 4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 4 · 8 — for a reset, if you are fitting this around other people or Slow box breathing for Friday evening, if you are doing this in the middle of the day.