Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breath (4 · 4) for a long illness, when you have been on screens all day
Rounds of 4 · 4, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Match the length of the out-breath to the in-breath — about 4 seconds each way. After a day of screens, the eyes and the shoulders need this first. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Five or six seconds in and the same out lands you near six breaths a minute, which is roughly where the cardiovascular system is happiest.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
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 your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- There is no need to breathe deeply. Long and quiet is the aim.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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 Uneven box breathing for a reset, when nothing else has worked today, Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for a grey day, when you need something unremarkable or How to use 4-7-8 breathing for a hospital waiting room, when you have woken up too early.