Breathing exercise · 6 · 2 · 6 · 2
How to use 6-2-6-2 breathing for a grey day, when you have already had a long week
Simple counts — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 6, hold for 2, out for 6, hold for 2. Keep the rhythm brisk and even. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The short holds act as small punctuation marks, keeping the pattern from becoming a drift.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 6s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 6s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 128 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- before you walk into a room full of people
- while you are waiting for something to start
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- There is no need to breathe deeply. Long and quiet is the aim.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
Please note
The counts are short but the rhythm is brisk. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded or short of breath, stop and breathe normally. Do not use this pattern while driving. If you have a heart or lung condition, check with a doctor first.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Physiological sigh for a hard week, when your attention is scattered, 2-1-4 breath (2 · 1 · 4) for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you need to stop thinking about work or 5-7 breathing exercise for the end of the working day — before something difficult.