Breathing exercise · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for a hard conversation, when you have just finished work
2 · 2 · 2 · 2 breathing: the easiest version of the square.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 2, hold for 2, out for 2, hold for 2. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. The gap right after work is the easiest one to use. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
This is a composure exercise more than a calming one. It gives you something to do while a feeling passes.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 2s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 2s |
| Exhale | 2s | 4s |
| Hold again | 2s | 6s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Set a timer for the rounds you want, so you are not watching the clock.
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 How to use 5-2-7 breathing for the middle of the night, if you are sceptical about all of this, 6-2-6-2 breathing — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — for the morning, when you want to be left alone or Physiological sigh: 5 rounds for the morning after, when you have been meaning to start.