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Square Breathing Techniques

Square breathing is a relaxation and meditation technique. It can be used to combat anxiety attacks and practiced daily to send the brain into an alpha or relaxed learning state. When the brain is in its alpha state, you're able to understand the needs and lessons of your subconscious and connect more deeply with the world around you. Square breathing techniques always use abdominal breaths.

  1. Heart Rhythm Technique

    • The heart rhythm technique is the parent technique of square breathing. It relies on your body's internal rhythm so that you can center yourself fully. Sitting or standing, draw back your shoulders in order to open the space around the heart. Breathe for the same length of time on the inhale and exhale. Align each inhale and exhale with six heartbeats. Expel air stuck in the bottom of the lungs. Once you center the breath with the heart, hold your breath for 12 heartbeats after the inhalation and repeat until you feel totally centered.

    1:4:2 Breath Ratio

    • A 1:4:2 breath ratio technique is similar to the heart rhythm method but has two main differences. The first is that you simply count numbers rather than heartbeats. The second is that the shorter duration facilitates a more forceful expulsion of air. Breathe in for the count of one. Hold your breath for the count of four. Breathe out for the count of 2. On the exhale, push the air from your lungs in a hard puff. As the exhale finishes, feel the breath swing back on the inhale. Center yourself on the swing breath, or moment between inhale and exhale, so that the resultant inhale doesn't suck back in your stress.

    Cycles of Four

    • Square breathing can combine the slower heart rhythm method with anxiety-expelling benefits of shorter breaths by working in cycles of four. Breathe in counts of four through the nose until you feel the breath. Then, pucker your lips as you inhale for four counts through the mouth. Relax the mouth to exhale for a count of four, releasing all of the air from your lungs. Once you master cycles of four, you may want to alternate one cycle of four -- inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth with one cycle of four inhaling and exhaling through the mouth. Always relax the mouth on the exhale and let your body remove all of the air from your lungs.

    Holding Intervals

    • Once you tune into your body further and develop true mindfulness of the breath, you may want to expand your practice. Increasing the amount of time between inhale and exhale can calm your body and strengthen your lungs and mind. Progress slowly to avoid stress or injury. A realistic progression might be working up to a ratio of eight counts or heartbeats on the inhale and exhale, and 16 holding. Once you're fully centered at that ratio, work up to 10:10:20. This may take several months.

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