Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breathing: 4 rounds for a hospital waiting room, when you want to be left alone
Simple counts — 6 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 6, out for 6, with nothing held in between. Repeat for as long as you have. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 48 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- before you walk into a room full of people
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- There is no need to breathe deeply. Long and quiet is the aim.
- There are no holds in this one, which makes it a good choice if breath-holding makes you anxious.
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 Coherent 5-5 breathing — 5 · 5 — for days when everything is too much, after a difficult conversation, Beginner box breathing exercise for Friday evening — when the day has been loud or 3-6 breathing: 6 rounds for bedtime, if you are new to this.