How To Practice Square Breathing

Check out our most recent video on YouTube, “How To Practice Square Breathing.”

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog/video should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed therapist.  

I am a licensed therapist, but I am not necessarily YOUR therapist unless you’ve signed a formal agreement with me to participate in therapeutic services.  The information presented in this video is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.   

Relationships are complicated, and this advice might not be a good fit for your needs or your relationship. Before making any decisions for yourself or your relationship, it’s always best to have a candid conversation with your therapist or other appropriate professional about your specific circumstances. 

Transcript: 

In today’s video, I’m going to teach you how to practice square breathing. Square breathing is a wonderful, calming relaxation technique that you can use any time you’re feeling angry or upset.

My name is Valery and I’m a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Colorado. I help couples who struggle with conflict, stop fighting and start communicating.

So in today’s video, I’m going to teach you one of my go-to soothing, calming and relaxation tools. And that’s called square breathing. Square breathing is a great tool to have in your toolkit because it combines both deep breathing, which is all about relaxing the body, with focused distraction, which is all about calming the mind.

Square breathing is really simple. To do square breathing, all you have to do is inhale for a count of four. Hold that breath for a count of four exhale for a count of four and hold for a count of four. That’s our square right there with square breathing.

I’m going to walk you through some square breathing and I’m going to have you breathe along with me just to get some good practice. So take a deep breath, let it out, calm your body and let’s start our square breathing.

So inhale for count of four one, two, three, four. Hold one, two, three, four. Exhale, one, two, three, four. And hold one, two, three, four.  Great. 

Now, do it with me one more time. Inhale one, two, three, four. Hold one, two, three, four. Exhale, one, two, three, four. And hold one, two, three, four.  Great. You’ve got it. That’s square breathing.

Now  notice your body. Just spend a couple seconds tuning in. Are you feeling a little more relaxed? Has your breathing slowed down?  Tune into your body and see how square breathing has affected you. 

When it comes to square breathing, I normally recommend that if you’re using it to do it four rounds or four squares. I suggest doing it four times just because it’s easy to remember four by four square breathing.

Square breathing is something that you can practice every day. It feels good. It’s relaxing. It feels good to do, but it also helps you remember what you need to do when you really need it. So I recommend that you practice square breathing maybe in the morning when you’re sitting in your car on the way to work or right before you get home. It’s a great way to get that skill down and to make sure that you really know how to use that tool in your toolkit.

That is square breathing. Again, simple, straightforward, something that anybody can use. So if you’re ever feeling upset or angry, or especially, if you need to take a break during the day or in the middle of a fight, go do some square breathing.  Calm your body, calm your mind.

I hope you found this video helpful. If you did, subscribe to our channel, like our video, and share it with your friends. And if you were breathing along with me, I want you to drop a comment below and tell me how it felt. What did you notice about your body when you’re doing square breathing? I’m looking forward to hearing from you and we’ll see you again soon. Thanks.

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