Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breathing exercise for the early months — if you are new to this
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. Nothing here assumes you have done this before. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Coherent breathing is often described as the most boring useful thing you can do with 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
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- before you walk into a room full of people
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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 Gentle box breathing — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for heavy days, when you feel restless rather than tired, How to use Double-inhale sigh for a cold morning, when you need to stop thinking about work or 4-7-8 breathing for the hours after people leave, before you go back to something hard.