Box Breath 4-4-4-4 | 10 Minutes

Box breathing at four seconds a side. In for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, thirty two rounds across ten minutes.
Four is the entry point. It is slow enough to settle the nervous system and short enough that you never feel you are chasing the count.

Use it before something that matters, after something that rattled you, or any time the thinking is running faster than you want it to.

I count you in, then step back and let you find your own rhythm with light cues. Nose breathing throughout if your nose is clear.

If you get on with this one, the same practice is here at five, six, seven and eight seconds.

Transcript

Welcome. This is a 10 minute box breathe at 4 seconds. So to begin, Just find a position that you can hold for the next 10 minutes without fidgeting. And seated is best. Lying down can work too as long as you stay awake for it. You can gently close down the eyes or let the gaze drop and soften toward the floor. The Bach spread has four equal parts. We inhale for four, We hold for four. We exhale for four and we hold for four. That's one round. And we'll do about 30 of them. In and out through the nose the whole way. And before we begin just let the shoulders fall away from the ears. Let the jaw be loose. And let your next out breath be a long one. Let's begin breathing in 2 3 4 hold 2 3 4 and out 2 3 4 hold 2 3 4 again in 2 3 4 hold 2 3 4 and out 2 3 4. Hold. 2. 3. 4. In. 2. 3. 4. Hold. 2. 3. 4. And out. 2. 3. 4. Hold. 2. 3. 4. Breathing in. 2. 3. 4. Hold. 2. 3. 4. And out. 2, 3, 4, Hold, 2, 3, 4, In, Out. Hold. Old. Old. Hold. N. Hold. Out. Hold. And just continuing like this. Allowing it to be easy. Nothing to force. Allowing each exhale to just gently leave the body, Allowing the whole to be easy. If you get distracted or lose the count, Just coming back to a 4 second inhale. 4 second hold. A four-second exhale. And the four second hold. Really allowing this to be easy and gentle. Keeping the jaw soft, The face soft. Feeling the breath in the belly, The ribs, The back. Finding some stillness in the holds. If the mind is busy or distracted, That's okay, Just staying with the count. Trusting that as the body settles, The mind settles. And the belly to do the work. The chest can stay quiet. Paying extra attention to the hold after the exhale, Really settling into that. And as your breath slows down, Allowing the rest of you to slow with it. Just a few rounds left here, Staying with the count. Last few breaths here. And now letting the count go completely. Allowing the breath to return to whatever feels natural, Allowing it to go wherever it wants to go. And just settle here for a few moments. And maybe notice if anything feels different in the body or the mind after this short practice. Bring some gentle movement back into the body, Maybe the fingers and toes. And slowly whenever you feel ready. You can gently open the eyes.