Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breath (4 · 4) for anxious moments, when you have woken up too early
A 4 · 4 rhythm — four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
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. Waking too early is a specific kind of frustrating. This helps with the frustration. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
At about six breaths a minute, the changes in heart rate and breathing tend to line up. That alignment is the whole idea.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- There is no need to breathe deeply. Long and quiet is the aim.
- Do it with your shoulders still. The movement should be in your ribs and belly.
- 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 How to use 4-2-6 breathing for a reset, if you are doing this instead of scrolling, How to use Tight box breathing for a long wait, when your attention is scattered or Beginner box breathing — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — for deep focus, after eating too much.