Square Breathing
Published on 03/30/20
Submitted by Diane Dioguardi, ESS Coordinator
Breathing is not only the foundation to all Mindfulness work; it is also an easily accessible coping skill that individuals of all ages and abilities can take with them wherever they go.
Square breathing is a type of breathwork that can shift your energy, connect you more deeply with your body, calm your nervous system, and decrease stress in your body. It is also referred to as box breathing, 4×4 breathing, and 4-part breath.
How to do square breathing:
• Begin by slowly exhaling all your air out.
• Then, gently inhale through your nose to a slow count of 4.
• Hold at the top of the breath for a count of 4.
• Then gently exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.
• At the bottom of the breath, pause and hold for the count of 4.
For an even more advanced version, try setting an intention or image.
You might want to set an intention or invite a neutral or positive image to focus on during your breathing practice. If the image of a square works for you, you can imagine your breath and the pauses/holds in between the breath moving around the image of the square.