Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breathing — 6 · 6 — for jet lag, when you are not sure this will work
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. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
This pace is slow enough to feel different and fast enough to keep doing for ten minutes.
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
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
Tips
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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 How to use Double-inhale sigh for the end of the working day, when you are doing this for the first time, Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing — 2 · 1 · 2 · 1 — for a reset, when you are too tired to try hard or How to use 7-11 breathing for a noisy room, if you are doing this in the middle of the day.