Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for bedtime, when you feel restless rather than tired

How it works

Four equal sides: 4 in, 4 held, 6 out, 2 held. Nothing else to remember. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.

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

One round is 16 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
• after an argument, before you decide what to say next
• when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears

Tips

• If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
• Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
• 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.