Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for a hard conversation, when you have been meaning to start
A a square with one long side pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold 4, out for 6, hold 2. The shape stays the same every round. You have been meaning to start. This is the least intimidating way in. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Equal breathing tends to even out the differences between your in-breath and out-breath over a few minutes.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 64 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
Tips
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 2-1-4 breathing for physical discomfort, when you have been putting it off, 2-1-4 breath (2 · 1 · 4) for a hospital waiting room, when you feel restless rather than tired or 4-7-8 breath (4 · 7 · 8) for a break at work, when you are doing this for the first time.