Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for Monday morning, on a low-energy afternoon
Rounds of 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 6, 2 — and you trace it with your breath. Low-energy afternoons are what this was written for. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Steady counts slow the breath down without you having to think about slowing the breath down.
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
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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.