Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breathing: 10 rounds for a break at work, on a day that started badly
Simple counts — 6 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count 6 on the way in and 6 on the way out. Keep them the same length. A day that started badly does not have to stay that way. Stay with what you can actually feel.
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 | 6s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
Tips
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- 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 Beginner box breathing: 10 rounds for a study session, when you are too tired to try hard, Box breathing — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — for a long illness, when you are doing this for the first time or Slow box breathing exercise for jet lag — if you are doing this in the middle of the day.