Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing: 12 rounds for a lonely evening, if you are new to this
4 · 4 breathing: 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. Nothing here assumes you have done this before. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Six breaths a minute is slow enough to be noticeable and unremarkable enough to keep up.
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
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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 How to use Tight box breathing for a hard week, when you are cold and want to be warm, 2-1-4 breath (2 · 1 · 4) for a hospital waiting room, when you feel restless rather than tired or Slow box breathing — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — for coming down after exercise, if you are new to this.