Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing exercise
4 · 1 · 4 · 1 breathing: barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.
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. Midday is an underrated time for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
Equal counts give your attention one simple job: keep the four sides the same length. That predictability is most of the effect.
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 have read the same paragraph three times
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when you are the only person awake in the house
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- 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 Uneven box breath for a break at work, How to use Coherent 5-5 breathing or Slow box breathing exercise for creative work.