Illustration of a child sitting in a meditative pose inside a box. © Recipes for Wellbeing

Box breathing

Only those who know how to breathe will survive. ―Pundit Acharya

👥 Serves: 1 person, 11-25 people, 2-10 people, 26-40 people, 41+ people

🎚 Difficulty: Easy

⏳ Total time: 1-10 minutes

🥣 Ingredients: A quiet place with no distractions

🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Awareness, Positive Emotion, Rest

💪 Wholebeing Skills: Breathing, Calm, Focus, Mindfulness, Pausing, Peacefulness, Relaxation, Slowing down

Illustration of a child sitting in a meditative pose inside a box. © Recipes for Wellbeing
Illustration of a child sitting in a meditative pose inside a box. © Recipes for Wellbeing

Box breathing

📝 Description

A breathing technique to relax the nervous system and alleviate stress.

The box breathing (also known as square breathing) is a simple but effective deep breathing technique that helps you manage your stress so you function optimally even under high levels of stress. It is also a great technique to calm down the chatter at the back of your mind when you go to bed and cannot fall asleep.

You can follow the steps below or watch this one-minute video to guide you through the practice.

👣 Steps

Step 1 – Inhale (4’’)

Breathe in through your nostrils to a count of 4.

Step 2 – Hold (4’’)

Hold your breath to a count of 4.

Step 3 – Exhale (4’’)

Breathe out through your mouth to a count of 4.

Step 4 – Hold (4’’)

Hold your breath to a count of 4.

Step 5 – Repeat (1’)

Repeat steps 1–4 for a minute, or as long as you wish to feel relaxed and grounded.

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