Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breath (6 · 6) for creative work, before something difficult
A 6 · 6 rhythm — six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out, no holds at all. It works best in the hour before something difficult. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
At about six breaths a minute, the changes in heart rate and breathing tend to line up. That alignment is the whole idea.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 6s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 144 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- 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 2-1-4 breath (2 · 1 · 4) for anxious moments, when you feel fine and want to stay that way, 3-6 breathing exercise for the early months — when you want to finish something or 5-2-7 breathing for a noisy room, if you have done this a hundred times.