Can you breathe a box? The wonder of box breathing (Breathing Better Part I)

I recently wrote a general piece about my journey towards practicing real breathwork and how building a serious practice can be beneficial for health and stress relief in general. In that same spirit, I want to break down a breathing technique commonly known as box breathing, and perhaps shed some light on its utility and potential benefits.

So what is box breathing?

Box breathing is a specific deep breathwork technique that has been around for quite some time. In fact, in the yogi tradition it’s known as Sama Vritti Pranayama. But don’t let the long name scare you away. It’s not a difficult technique to learn and can quite easily assimilate into a morning routine, or used whenever you feel stress levels starting to eek up uncomfortably. Many professionals in high-stress jobs use this unique breathwork style as it tends to provide a fast and effective way to regain some calm.

So how does box breathing work?

As its name suggests, the key is to make something similar to a box with your breath — that is, you breathe in and out with a four-square schema. For beginners, best to find a comfortable place to sit or even lie down if that’s more relaxing. Close your eyes, slowly breathe in through your nose to a count of four, filling your lungs with air. Then hold your breath for a four-second count, after which you will exhale out through your mouth for another four seconds, only to hold your breath at the end for another four seconds before you start back again. Try to aim to do this for at least 4 cycles.

To summarize (4–4–4–4):

1. Inhale through nose with a count of four
2. Gently hold for a count of four
3. Exhale through mouth with a count of four.
4. Hold again for a count of four — repeat step 1

And that’s it!

What if box-breathing makes me dizzy or feel more anxious?

Odds are you won’t feel this way with this technique. Nonetheless, some people respond differently and can find this difficult at first. That’s ok! Adjust the technique. Perhaps move to a 3 count, or go further to a 5 count. If it’s too much, simply return to your normal breath for a minute or two, and relax in a comfortable space. Breathwork is a process. Experiment but be in tune with your body.

Are there any good apps to start?

Of course! There are good apps for pretty much anything these days. Box breathing is among one of them. Here are 3 free ones to check out:

• Box Breathing — Breath Air (ios/Android)
• Breathly (ios/Android)
• Awesome breathing app (ios/Android)

And if you don’t want any more apps crowding up your phone, there are some good quality YouTube box breathing videos that can get you started. As always, use your best instincts in deciding where to start. Building a real breathwork practice is a bit of an art and will take some time and tooling. Box breathing can be a solid foundation for this endeavor!