Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for a hot day, when you are doing this for the first time
Simple counts — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 4, hold for 1, out for 4, hold for 1. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. If this is your first go, stay with the plainest version of the instructions. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
Equal breathing tends to even out the differences between your in-breath and out-breath over a few minutes.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 1s | 4s |
| Exhale | 4s | 5s |
| Hold again | 1s | 9s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Rest for a few seconds between rounds if the pattern feels demanding.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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 3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for a cold morning, when you have been on screens all day, 2-1-4 breathing: 10 rounds for physical discomfort, before something difficult or Uneven box breathing exercise for Sunday evening — when you have more time than usual.