Breathing exercise · 3 · 6
How to use 3-6 breathing for the hours after people leave, when you are waiting for something
Simple counts — 3 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 3 counts to breathe in, and 6 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Waiting is dead time you can spend on this instead. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
Most people find the out-breath easier to lengthen than the in-breath. This uses that.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 3s |
One round is 9 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 36 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- just before you have to say something difficult
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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.