Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for jet lag, when you are on your own
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
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. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- The counts are a guide. If a number feels too long, shorten every side by one.
- 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 Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a lonely evening, when you have just finished work, Gentle box breath (3 · 3 · 3 · 3) for a night shift, when you are at home and cannot settle or Tight box breathing exercise for the morning — when you are too tired to try hard.