Breathing exercise · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3
Gentle box breath for the middle of the night
The pattern is 3 · 3 · 3 · 3, which is a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 3 on the way in, 3 at the top, 3 on the way out, 3 at the bottom. Repeat. Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
You can do it silently, in a meeting, without anyone knowing. That matters more than it sounds.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Hold | 3s | 3s |
| Exhale | 3s | 6s |
| Hold again | 3s | 9s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
Tips
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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 5-2-7 breath for the middle of the night, Box breath (4 · 4 · 4 · 4) for the morning after or Gentle box breathing — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for heavy days, when you feel restless rather than tired.