4-4-8 Breath

Alternate Nostril Breathing for Rapid Calming

The 4-4-8 breath is a breathing technique specifically designed to calm a person down rapidly. This is achieved by alternating between breathing in and out through the right and left nostril in a very specific rhythm. The nostrils are closed one after the other with the help of either your thumb or ring finger of your right hand.

The 4-4-8 breath quickly lowers the heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels, and it may even avert panic attacks.

The 4-4-8 Breath

  • 1

    Place the index and middle finger of your right hand on the bridge of your nose. Following the instructions below you will alternately close and open the right and left nostril with the help of your thumb or ring finger of that same hand (alternatively, you can also just use one or both index fingers to close the nostrils if that’s easier).

  • 2
    Close your right nostril with your thumb. Breathe in slowly through your left nostril for a count of four.
  • 3
    Now hold your breath for a count of four.
  • 4
    Let go of the right nostril and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Breathe out through the right nostril for a count of eight.
  • 5
    Now breathe in through your right nostril for a count of four.
  • 6
    Then hold your breath for a count of four.
  • 7
    Let go of the left nostril and close the right nostril with your thumb. Breathe out through the left nostril for a count of eight.
  • 8
    Repeat steps 2-7 for several rounds until feeling calm.

When to Practise

During a strong stress situation or excessive demands, e.g. before a panic attack.

Tips 💡

  • Familiarise yourself with this breathing technique in advance by practising it several times beforehand, so that you can fall back on it easily and without much thought in actual stress situations.

  • The absolute time you spend on each round is not so important. However, it is important to maintain the ratio of 4:4:8. If you find it difficult to hold your breath for a longer period of time, then speed up the exercise slightly but maintain the ratio of 4:4:8.

Additional Information

  • By lengthening the exhalation, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which leads to a calming and relaxing reaction in body and mind.

  • By holding our breath, the carbon dioxide content in our blood is gently increased, which in turn causes the blood vessels in the body to dilate. Consequently, our blood pressure is lowered and a deeper state of relaxation is achieved.

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