Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
How to use Uneven box breathing for a long illness, when you have been on screens all day
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, which is a square with one long side.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 6, 2 — and you trace it with your breath. After a day of screens, the eyes and the shoulders need this first. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
This is a composure exercise more than a calming one. It gives you something to do while a feeling passes.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 192 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- The counts are a guide. If a number feels too long, shorten every side by one.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a long wait, if you are doing this in the middle of the day, 5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for physical discomfort, when you have been meaning to start or How to use 6-2-6-2 breathing for heated moments, when you want to be left alone.