Box breathing: how to do it, with a guided pacer
Four equal sides: in, hold, out, hold. Because every count is the same, there is nothing to work out, which leaves your attention free to follow the breath.
How to do it
- Sit upright or lie down, with your shoulders loose. Breathe in through your nose for four counts, letting the breath reach low into your belly.
- Hold gently for four. Breathe out slowly for four, through the nose or pursed lips. Pause for four before the next breath.
- Keep going for two to five minutes. If four feels long, use three; if it feels easy, you can stretch to five or six in the custom pacer.
What the research says
Box breathing was one of three breathing practices tested against mindfulness meditation in a randomised study at Stanford (Balban et al., 2023). All of them, box breathing included, were associated with improved mood and lower resting breathing rate over a month of five-minute daily sessions, but the cyclic sighing group improved most.
More broadly, reviews of slow breathing report links with greater heart rate variability and with feeling calmer and more alert, although many of the underlying studies are small.
Take care. If you feel dizzy, light-headed or uncomfortable, stop and breathe normally. Shorten the counts, or skip the holds, if you have asthma, a heart or lung condition, or are pregnant, and check with your doctor if you are unsure.
Sources
- Balban MY, Neri E, Kogon MM, et al. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 2023;4(1):100895. doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895
- Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018;12:353. doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
- NHS. Breathing exercises for stress. www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/