Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
How to use 4-8 breathing for the morning after
Rounds of 4 · 8, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 4 counts to breathe in, and 8 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. It travels well. Hotels, spare rooms, other people’s sofas. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The ratio slows the whole breath cycle without requiring you to breathe deeply.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 8s | 4s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 60 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
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
Tips
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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 How to use 5-7 breathing for a hot day, Box breath for the hours after people leave or 4-8 breathing for a hard week.