Breathing exercise · 6 · 6
How to use Coherent 6-6 breathing for the hours after people leave, after eating too much
Simple counts — 6 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out, no holds at all. Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
No holds means no urge to gasp, which makes it the easiest version to do in public.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 6s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 72 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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.