Box breathing

Inhale, hold, exhale, and hold, each for the same count.

Sit or lie down if a hold feels like too much.

Sources

• Equal phases of three, four, five, or six seconds are a teaching choice for this pattern. How to Do Breathwork: Techniques for Beginners

Skip this

• Skip this during pregnancy, with cardiovascular disease, or with epilepsy.
• Skip this when a child under 13 is the one practicing.

Stop if

• Stop if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or unwell. Sit or lie down and let the breath return on its own.
• This is not medical care and not a diagnosis or treatment.
• Stop if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, tingling in the lips or fingers, chest pain, heart pounding or irregular beats, visual change, nausea, headache, or panic that is rising rather than settling. Sit or lie down. Breathe quietly, without controlling the breath, until it passes.
• If chest pain, fainting, or trouble breathing does not settle, seek urgent care.
• Do not practice breath holds, fast breathing, or eyes-closed walking while driving, in water, or standing if the practice is new.