Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for days when everything is too much, when you are not sure this will work

How it works

In for 4, hold 4, out for 6, hold 2. The shape stays the same every round. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.

Why it can help

You can do it silently, in a meeting, without anyone knowing. That matters more than it sounds.

The pattern, in seconds

One round is 16 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• in the car, parked, before you go inside
• when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
• when you have five minutes and no idea where to start

Tips

• Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
• Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
• 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.