Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing for a ten-minute window, if you are tired of apps
A four and four, if five feels like a stretch pattern, counted for you on screen.
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. No account, no streak, no notification asking how you feel. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
It is a good first exercise if every other pattern feels like too many instructions.
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
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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 Tight box breathing for coming down after exercise, if you are fitting this around other people, Quick 2-1-2-1 breath (2 · 1 · 2 · 1) for days when everything is too much, when your attention is scattered or 4-6 breathing for coming down after exercise, when nothing else has worked today.