Uneven box breathing exercise for jet lag

How it works

Count to 4 on the way in, 4 at the top, 6 on the way out, 2 at the bottom. Repeat. It works best in the hour before something difficult. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.

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

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 are the only person awake in the house
• while you are waiting for something to start
• when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up

Tips

• If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
• Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
• 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.