What is square breathing?
What is square breathing?
Square breathing, also sometimes referred to as Box Breathing, is a breathwork technique to regulate and practice mindfulness with our breath.
Box/square breathing gets its name from the four equal sides of it. To practice we first breathe in to the count of four, then hold for the same amount of time. Then we breathe out for four counts, and wait another four moments before breathing in again.
Doing this brings us to the present moment and momentarily takes our focus away from something causing stress, and can help reduce anxiety because it puts all of our thoughts onto breathing and the time of it.
Square breathing is a great example of a 1-minute meditation that can be practiced by children, teens, and even adults!
How to Practice Square Breathing
To start, sit in a chair or on the floor with relatively straight posture. This helps open and relax the diaphragm, giving you more room in your body to breathe.
Once situated and comfortable, slowly release all of your breath.
Then, count to four as you breathe in. You are not trying to breathe all the way in during just these four counts, rather you are breathing at a natural, slow pace for a specific period of time.
Hold the breath for the same count of four, before breathing out for another four counts.
As you exhale you are not trying to quickly breathe all of your air out, you’re instead slowly and mindfully noticing how much of a full breath fits in the space of those four counts.
How does square breathing help regulate our body?
Square breathing is useful in the practices of regulating breathing and grounding yourself.
It brings your full attention to the breath moving in and out of your body, and focuses you on that feeling.
Breathwork is one of the easiest and most effective techniques to ground yourself when you are experiencing extreme emotions and overstimulation.
In situations where you begin to lose your footing and need reminding of when and where you physically are, focusing on breathing and engaging mindfully with your body. This helps bring you back to the moment and out of whatever may have been causing a spiral.
When is square breathing the most effective?
Square breathing will have the greatest benefit when used in moments where grounding is needed, and in times of dysregulation.
For example:
In a time of overstimulation
When you are very angry
When experiencing severe anxiety or stress
In the event of a panic attack, flashback, etc*
When you need to take a moment
*Square breathing is a great tool, but remember that it is just one of many tools in your toolbox
What makes square breathing an easy breathing exercise?
Square breathing is silent, non-disruptive, and it requires zero physical tools or materials, which makes it a great breathing exercise for beginners.
You don’t even need to leave a room if you are not comfortable doing so; you can practice square breathing right where you are without making any changes.
This is useful in situations like celebratory events or ceremonies where using regulatory tools without drawing attention is important.
Square Breathing is one of the many tools and breathing techniques to reduce stress, ground ourselves, and to self-regulate in the moment.
