Free Tool
Box Breathing Timer
The Navy SEAL 4-4-4-4 rhythm: four seconds in, four hold, four out, four empty. Follow the circle and reach alert calm in a few minutes.
Focus & calm. Classic Navy SEAL technique.
Inhale
4
0:00 / 5:00
Box breathing counter
0
completed rounds
NL voice: recorded cues · EN voice: recorded cues
Before you start — please read this
Breathwork is powerful. Precisely for that reason: approach it with care. New to conscious breathing? Do your first sessions guided where possible — for example with a 1-on-1 breathwork coach or in the 30-Day Breath Challenge.
Feel light-headed, dizzy, tingling, nauseous or emotionally overwhelmed? Stop and return to normal nose breathing. Lie down or sit with support until it passes.
Not while driving, cycling or in water. Not recommended during pregnancy, epilepsy, serious heart conditions or recent surgery. When in doubt: consult your doctor. This tool does not replace medical advice.
Add the timer to your home screen
Same Spiriators app as the portal — with a shortcut to this timer. Courses stay available as usual.
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Book free intro callWhat is box breathing?
Box breathing — also called square breathing or tactical breathing — is a technique with four equal phases: inhale, hold, exhale and hold empty, each 4 seconds. The pattern forms a square — hence the name. It's the technique Navy SEALs, surgeons and elite athletes use to stay calm under extreme pressure, because it shifts your nervous system into a balanced 'alert calm'.
Searching under another name? Box breathing is also known as square breathing, four-square breathing or tactical breathing — it's the same technique.
How to do box breathing?
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, gently filling belly and chest.
- Hold for 4 seconds without building tension.
- Exhale slowly for 4 seconds through your mouth or nose.
- Hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds before inhaling again.
The timer counts every phase for you and guides you with the visual circle and voice cues — you just breathe. Repeat 4–6 rounds, or set a session goal (2, 5, 10 or 15 minutes).
Box breathing counter
Below the circle is the box breathing counter: it counts every completed 4-4-4-4 round. You see at a glance how many cycles you've done — useful if you want 4–6 rounds, or if you keep a fixed count per session. Reset sets the counter back to zero.
When to use box breathing?
- Before a stressful moment: presentation, job interview or exam.
- During a workday, when you need focus for a difficult task.
- After an emotional or intense moment, to come back into balance.
- When overthinking: the fixed rhythm gives your mind a task to follow.
Benefits of box breathing
Because all phases are equal, box breathing balances your nervous system without making you drowsy — unlike techniques with a long exhale. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure, reduces cortisol and trains CO2 tolerance, so you breathe calmer even outside the practice over time. Research shows it lowers anxiety scores and improves HRV within a single session.
Other breathing techniques
Not sure which technique fits your moment?
This page has one technique pre-selected. On the free breathing timer you'll find all techniques: box breathing, 4-7-8, coherent breathing, energize breath, physiological sigh and custom rhythm — switch with one click.
Explore all breathing techniques →Want to go deeper than a timer?
30-Day Breath and Yin Challenge
A new 15–30 minute video every day. This challenge helps you get out of your head and back into your body.
View the challenge