Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for the hours after people leave, when nothing else has worked today
A barely any hold, for people who dislike holding pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 4 in, 1 held, 4 out, 1 held. Nothing else to remember. Nothing else has worked today. That is not a reason to skip this. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
The rhythm is deliberately unremarkable. Unremarkable is easier to keep up when your hands are shaking.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 50 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- while you are waiting for something to start
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- Do it with your shoulders still. The movement should be in your ribs and belly.
- Rest for a few seconds between rounds if the pattern feels demanding.
- 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 4-6 breathing — 4 · 6 — for a break at work, after a difficult conversation, 4-8 breathing: 12 rounds for deep focus, when you need something unremarkable or How to use Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for exam nerves, when you are too tired to try hard.