Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing: 10 rounds for the morning after, after eating too much
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 4 on the way in, 4 at the top, 6 on the way out, 2 at the bottom. Repeat. Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
The pauses are short enough that they rarely trigger the urge to gasp, which is what makes it usable in public.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Gentle box breath (3 · 3 · 3 · 3) for the commute, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, 7-11 breathing for a reset, when you have been on screens all day or Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a hard week, when the weather has kept you inside.