Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing for a hard week, when you are at home and cannot settle
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 4 in, 4 held, 6 out, 2 held. Nothing else to remember. Being at home and unable to settle is a very specific problem. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 Coherent 5-5 breath (5 · 5) for Friday evening, when you have more time than usual, Gentle box breathing for a hard conversation, if you are new to this or Physiological sigh: 6 rounds for a long illness, when you want to be left alone.