# How to do 4-6 breathing > To do 4-6 breathing, inhale gently through your nose for 4 seconds, then exhale slowly for 6 seconds, without holding your breath. Each breath takes 10 seconds, so you breathe six times a minute. Keep it relaxed rather than deep, and continue for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer once it feels easy. Canonical: https://hellobirch.app/guides/4-6-breathing Updated: 2026-11-03 Publisher: Birch (Tsukemen.io) ## 4-6 breathing, step by step 1. **Get comfortable** (10 sec): Sit or lie down with your shoulders relaxed. Let your hands rest on your belly or thighs. 2. **Inhale for 4** (4 sec): Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, letting your belly expand. 3. **Exhale for 6** (6 sec): Breathe out for six seconds, slowly and smoothly, through your nose or softly through pursed lips. 4. **No holds**: Go straight into the next inhale. The longer out-breath is the only twist. 5. **Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes** (3–5 min): That's 18 to 30 breaths. Use a pacer so you don't need to count. ## What 4-6 breathing is 4-6 breathing is slow breathing with a slightly longer exhale: 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out. It works out to six breaths a minute. That is well under the 10 breaths a minute that a 2018 systematic review used as its cutoff for "slow breathing." The review linked slow breathing in healthy people with higher heart rate variability and with reports of feeling more relaxed. In Birch this preset is called **Slow-Paced 4-6**. Because there are no holds and the counts are short, 4-6 is one of the easiest patterns to start with. It is a stepping stone to [coherent breathing](https://hellobirch.app/guides/coherent-breathing) (6 in, 6 out) or [7-11](https://hellobirch.app/guides/7-11-breathing). ## Who it's for - Beginners who find 4-7-8 or box breathing holds uncomfortable. - Anyone who wants a quiet reset at a desk, in a queue, or on a walk. It's subtle enough that nobody will notice. - People winding down at night who want a long-exhale rhythm that's easy to keep up in bed. ## Common mistakes - **Taking huge breaths.** Slow, not big. Over-breathing can leave you light-headed. - **Holding at the top.** There's no pause. Turn the breath around smoothly. - **Pushing the exhale.** Six seconds should feel unhurried. If it's a strain, try 3 in and 5 out. - **Counting in your head for minutes.** Counting can get tiring. Let a pacer or haptic cue keep the time. ## Breathe low, not high 4-6 feels easiest when the breath moves your belly rather than your chest. Cleveland Clinic's guide to diaphragmatic breathing suggests a simple check: rest one hand on your upper chest and one just below your ribs. As you breathe in, the lower hand should rise while the upper hand stays fairly still. As you breathe out, the lower hand falls. If your shoulders creep up on the inhale, shorten the count for a few breaths, then come back to 4 and 6. ## How long to practice Three to five minutes is a comfortable session. The NHS's slow breathing exercise suggests at least 5 minutes, and says regular practice as part of your daily routine gives the most benefit. Once 4-6 is easy, you can lengthen the session or move to 6-6. ## 4-6 vs box breathing and 4-7-8 - **vs [box breathing](https://hellobirch.app/guides/box-breathing):** box adds holds after the inhale and the exhale. 4-6 has none and puts the extra time into the exhale. - **vs [4-7-8](https://hellobirch.app/guides/4-7-8-breathing):** 4-7-8 is a short set of four breaths with a long hold. 4-6 is a gentle rhythm you can keep up for minutes. ## 4-6 breathing with Birch Choose Slow-Paced 4-6 in Birch and set a time or number of cycles. On Apple Watch, a haptic tap marks each in- and out-breath. Log it alongside your other daily habits, so your breathing and your routine show up together across the week. ## FAQ ### Is 4-6 breathing good for sleep? Many people like a long-exhale, no-hold rhythm at bedtime, and 4-6 is an easy one. It is a relaxation routine, not a sleep treatment. See [breathing exercises for sleep](https://hellobirch.app/guides/breathing-exercises-for-sleep). ### How many breaths per minute is 4-6 breathing? Six. Each breath takes 10 seconds (4 in plus 6 out). ### 4-6 breathing vs box breathing: which is better? Neither is better. 4-6 has no holds and a longer exhale, which many people find easier. Box breathing's equal sides feel steadying to others. Try both. ### What if 6 seconds out feels too long? Try 3 in and 5 out. Keep the exhale longer than the inhale, and lengthen both as it gets easier. ### Is there a 4-6 breathing timer? The pacer on this page is free to use. Birch's Slow-Paced 4-6 preset does the same on iPhone and Apple Watch, with haptic cues on the Watch. ## Practice with Birch Birch is a free iPhone and Apple Watch app with six breathing patterns (Weil Method 4-7-8, Box 4-4-4-4, Gentle Wave 7-11, Balance 3-3-6-3 (inhale 3, hold 3, exhale 6, hold 3), Heart Coherence 6-6, Slow-Paced 4-6) and simple daily habit tracking. No ads, no account, no subscription. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/birch-breathe-relax-sleep/id6449722381 ## Related guides - [How to do coherent breathing](https://hellobirch.app/guides/coherent-breathing) - [How to do 7-11 breathing](https://hellobirch.app/guides/7-11-breathing) - [How to do box breathing](https://hellobirch.app/guides/box-breathing) ## Sources - [Zaccaro et al., 2018. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30245619/) - [NHS — Breathing exercises for stress](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/) - [Cleveland Clinic — Diaphragmatic Breathing](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing) --- Birch supports general wellness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.