Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 8
Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for a hot day, if you are tired of apps
A 4 · 4 · 8 rhythm — the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold for 4, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. No account, no streak, no notification asking how you feel. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Doubling the exhale changes the ratio your body uses to decide how safe it is.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 How to use Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for a night shift, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, 6-2-6-2 breathing exercise or Tight box breathing for the morning after.