Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breath (6 · 6) for a lonely evening, when you have woken up too early
A six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out, no holds at all. Waking too early is a specific kind of frustrating. This helps with the frustration. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
It gives your body a rhythm to settle into, without asking it to do anything clever.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 6s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 72 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- 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 4-6 breathing exercise for a cold morning — on a day that started badly, Gentle box breathing — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for a noisy room, when you have tried everything else or 5-2-7 breath (5 · 2 · 7) for being unwell, on a low-energy afternoon.