Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
Coherent 6-6 breathing for deep focus
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. Five minutes here is cheaper than an hour of grinding. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
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
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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 breathing — 2 · 1 · 4 — for Sunday evening, when you need something unremarkable, Gentle box breathing exercise for anxious moments or How to use 4-8 breathing.