Square Breathing or Box Breathing [Four Counts]
Square breathing or box breathing is an easy way to breathe more deeply. This breathwork technique can be used on its own, as a preparation for meditation, or even as apart of your meditation practice, as it is is a simple and popular way to calm your mind. It is sometimes called “resetting your breath” technique, and is suitable for both beginners and advanced practitioners of breathwork and meditation. In fact, square breathing is widely used by athletes, health workers and police officers, since it reduces stress in a matter of five minutes and helps establish healthy breathing patterns.
Learning the technique
You can do box breathing anywhere, anytime.All you need to do is count using cycles of four—thus the reference to the four sides of a square (or the four faces of a box). The technique consists of three simple steps that are easy to learn and apply:
Step 1: Posture
Get into a comfortable sitting position or in a comfortable standing position, where you can lengthen your spine and relax your shoulders
Close your eyes gently and start observing your breath
Step 2: Slowly inhale and hold
Inhale through the nose to a count of four (count mentally; the length of a unit is typically equal to one second)
Feel the air fill your lungs, until your lungs and your abdomen expand
Then hold the breath to the count of four
Step 3: Exhale & Hold
Exhale through your mouth at the same pace—slowly count to four
Hold your breath to the count of four
Repeat the cycle several times (10 is recommended)
Some tips
To some people, it may be challenging at first to get the hang of this technique, and complete more than a few full cycles at a time. If that is the case, practice square breathing more often, and you’ll be able to go longer.
You may get dizzy after a few rounds of square breathing. If you experience dizziness, stay seated for a minute, and resume normal breathing.
When to do square breathing
In the morning
As a pre-workout or preparation for meditation
Before sleeping
Benefits of square breathing
Intentional deep breathing calms and regulates the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which, in turn, regulates involuntary body functions, such as temperature
Square breathing can lower blood pressure and provide an almost immediate sense of calm
Box breathing can reduce stress and improve your mood, which makes it an exceptional treatment for conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression
Box breathing can also help treat insomnia by allowing you to calm your nervous system at night before going to bed
Box breathing can even be efficient in helping with pain management.
Demo
You can also use the following “practice timer” as a guide during the first few sessions of your square breathing practice:
For a summary explanation and a demonstration of the box breathing technique, you can watch the following video: