Breathing exercise · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
How to use Beginner box breathing for heavy days, when you are short on time
The pattern is 2 · 2 · 2 · 2, which is the easiest version of the square.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 2, hold for 2, out for 2, hold for 2. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Pick this one when you are short on time. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
Nothing here depends on you relaxing. You can be tense the whole way through and the pattern still works.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 32 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- You can do this with your eyes open. Nothing here requires privacy.
- 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 5-2-7 breathing for a long wait, if you are doing this in the middle of the day, Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for a reset, when you feel restless rather than tired or 4-8 breathing for a cold morning, when you are on your own.