Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing: 10 rounds for Monday morning, when you are too tired to try hard
The pattern is 4 · 4, which is four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 4 seconds in, 4 seconds out, no holds at all. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
This pace is slow enough to feel different and fast enough to keep doing for ten minutes.
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
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- 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 Coherent 5-5 breathing for a study session, when you feel fine and want to stay that way, 3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for heavy days, if you are doing this in the middle of the day or Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for a long illness, before something difficult.