Box Breathing4–4–4–4 Navy SEAL technique for calm focus

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Guided Box Breathing

Visual + audio‑free guidance. Press Start and follow the prompts. Each cycle is 16 seconds (4 × 4s). Tip: keep the tongue on the palate and breathe quietly.

Box Breathing
Inhale (nose)

Step: Inhale (nose)

4s left in this phase

Session

Cycles completed
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Current phase
Inhale (nose)
Phase time
4s
Cycle length
16s

Tip: If 4‑second holds feel tight today, reduce to 2–3s or skip the final hold.

References

  1. Zaccaro, A. et al. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and HRV: A systematic review & meta‑analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104881
  2. Lehrer, P. et al. (2020). Heart rate variability and slow‑paced breathing: When coherence meets resonance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.020
  3. Balban, M. et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce respiratory rate. Cell Reports Medicine. PMC9873947
  4. Pascoe, M.C. et al. (2023). The Effect of Slow‑Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Regulation: A Meta‑analysis. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671‑023‑02294‑2
  5. Laborde, S. et al. (2018). How Breath‑Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 12:353
  6. Conrad, A. et al. (2019). Training of paced breathing at 0.1 Hz improves CO₂ homeostasis and perceived calmness. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218550
  7. Jadhav, S. & Deshpande, V. (2021). Effect of Box Breathing Technique on Lung Function Test. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology. ResearchGate