Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing exercise for travel days — when you are cold and want to be warm
A 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 rhythm — a square with one long side.
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. Get a blanket first. Being cold defeats the point. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Because the counts are the same in and out, your body does not have to decide anything. It just follows.
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
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- 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 the morning, when you want to be left alone, Double-inhale sigh (3 · 8) for the end of the working day, after eating too much or 4-7-8 breathing: 8 rounds for a hard week, on a low-energy afternoon.