Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
How to use Coherent 4-4 breathing for the hours after people leave, when you need to stop thinking about work
The pattern is 4 · 4, which is four and four, if five feels like a stretch.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, out for 4, with nothing held in between. Repeat for as long as you have. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
Because nothing is held, there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 48 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- 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 Physiological sigh for bedtime, Box breathing: 5 rounds for heavy days or How to use 4-2-6 breathing for Friday evening, when you have woken up too early.