Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 8
Soft 4-7-8 breath (4 · 4 · 8) for the morning, when you want to be left alone
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 8, which is the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4. Then out for 8, slowly, without pushing. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The hold, where there is one, is short. The work is in the length of the release, not the pause.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 8s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- while you are waiting for something to start
- when you are the only person awake in the house
Tips
- A shorter pattern done consistently beats a longer one done once.
- If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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 Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for heated moments, when nothing else has worked today, Coherent 6-6 breathing exercise for a ten-minute window — when you have more time than usual or Tight box breathing exercise for a noisy room — when you have been meaning to start.