Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing: 10 rounds for bedtime, when you only have a few minutes
Simple counts — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 4, 1, 4, 1 — and you trace it with your breath. A few minutes is the whole requirement. Let the physical world hold your attention.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- while you are waiting for something to start
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- Do it with your shoulders still. The movement should be in your ribs and belly.
- 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 3-6 breathing — 3 · 6 — for deep focus, if you are doing this in the middle of the day, 7-11 breathing exercise for a break at work — when you are not in the mood or 4-6 breathing for bedtime, if you have five quiet minutes.