Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing exercise for a ten-minute window — when you want something simple
Simple counts — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold 1, out for 4, hold 1. The shape stays the same every round. Simple is the point. There is no advanced version to graduate to. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
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 you are the only person awake in the house
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- 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 7-11 breath (7 · 11) for a noisy room, if you are tired of apps, Coherent 6-6 breathing for travel days, when you are at home and cannot settle or 4-6 breathing: 12 rounds for the morning, on a day that started badly.