Breathing exercise · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for travel days, if you have five quiet minutes
Rounds of 2 · 2 · 2 · 2, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 2 on the way in, 2 at the top, 2 on the way out, 2 at the bottom. Repeat. Five quiet minutes is enough. Ten is generous. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
It works because it is boring. Boring rhythms are the ones you can actually follow under pressure.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 40 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- 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.