Breathing exercise · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
How to use Beginner box breathing for a break at work, when you want to be left alone
Simple counts — 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 2, hold 2, out for 2, hold 2. The shape stays the same every round. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The holds are brief. Long enough to notice, short enough to be unremarkable.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 2s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 2s |
| Exhale | 2s | 4s |
| Hold again | 2s | 6s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 40 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 4-2-6 breathing, How to use 6-2-6-2 breathing for the morning after or Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for creative work.