Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breath (4 · 4) for heated moments, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
4 · 4 breathing: four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, out for 4, with nothing held in between. Repeat for as long as you have. Midday is an underrated time for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
You are not trying to relax. You are giving your system a slower, even rhythm and letting it respond however it responds.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
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
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- 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 Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for the morning, after a long day, How to use Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for a lonely evening, if you are tired of apps or Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for the hours after people leave, when nothing else has worked today.