Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for a lonely evening, if you are sceptical about all of this
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6, hold for 2. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Scepticism is welcome. You do not have to believe anything for this to work. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Nothing here depends on you relaxing. You can be tense the whole way through and the pattern still works.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 128 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- 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.