Breathing exercise · 2 · 6
Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a hard conversation, if you have five quiet minutes
Simple counts — 2 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose. Before you let it out, take a second short sip of air on top. Then release everything slowly through your mouth. Five quiet minutes is enough. Ten is generous. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Most people sigh like this involuntarily several times a day. Doing it on purpose is the only change.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 2s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 2s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
Please note
The double inhale is gentle, but if you feel lightheaded, reduce it to a single inhale and a long exhale. Stop if you feel dizzy. If you have a heart or lung condition, check with a doctor before starting a new breathing practice.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 4-2-6 breath (4 · 2 · 6) for jet lag, after a long day, Soft 4-7-8 breath (4 · 4 · 8) for creative work, when you need something unremarkable or 3-6 breathing for a stolen moment of caregiving, if you have done this a hundred times.