Seated · Breathing · a minute and a half

Slow breathing

Also called paced breathing, 4-6 breathing or extended exhale breathing.

How to do a slow breathing

1. Sit comfortably in a chair with your back supported and your shoulders relaxed.
2. Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of six.
4. Never hold your breath between the in and the out.
5. If you feel light-headed, stop counting and breathe normally.

In Vaskuna the voice says: “In through the nose for four, out through the mouth for six. Never hold your breath.”

Go gently

If you feel light-headed, stop counting and breathe normally.

Make it easier

Use a shorter count, such as in for three and out for four.

Have within reach

• A sturdy chair

In a session

In Vaskuna this usually lasts a minute and a half. It is part of twelve routines: Steady walk and stretch, Chair strength, Morning mobility, Breathe and unwind, Gentle start, Chair mobility, Chair strength plus, Legs and balance, Reach and stretch, Wall strength, Full body steady, Balance builder.

Questions

What is 4-6 breathing?

It means breathing in for a count of four and out for a count of six, so the out-breath is a little longer. There is no pause or hold in between.

Should I breathe through my nose or my mouth?

In Vaskuna you breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. If your nose feels blocked, breathing in through the mouth is fine. Keep each breath gentle rather than deep and forced.

Vaskuna is not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, monitor or prevent any condition, and nothing in it is medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting new exercise, and stop and seek medical help if you notice chest pain or tightness, severe breathlessness, dizziness, or a racing heartbeat.