Breathing exercise · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
Beginner box breathing: 4 rounds for a break at work, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
Simple counts — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 2, 2, 2, 2 — and you trace it with your breath. When concentration is gone, work with what is left. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
Because the counts are the same in and out, your body does not have to decide anything. It just follows.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 32 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- before you walk into a room full of people
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
Tips
- It is fine to breathe through your mouth if your nose is blocked. Nose is usually easier.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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.