Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for a noisy room, when you are too tired to try hard
A 4 · 4 rhythm — 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. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Coherent breathing is often described as the most boring useful thing you can do with ten minutes.
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
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- No holds means no buildup. The rhythm does all the work.
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.