Square Breathing (Video Tutorial + Free PDFs- Including a Box Breathing Inspired Game)

Have you ever practiced square breathing? 

This post will show you how to practice square breathing, a simple yet effective breathing exercise.

You will also learn some variations of this breathing exercise that we use to make deep breathing fun and easier for kids:

• a breathing exercise involving a square shape, but using a slightly different technique
• a square breathing game (a similar exercise to the one above)

? Square breathing visuals are available for download at the end of the post.

Related Reading: 10+ Fun Breathing Exercises for Kids for Home or the Classroom

What is Square Breathing (or Box Breathing)?

Square breathing is a very simple deep breathing technique.

You may have also square breathing referred to as Box Breathing or 4 Square Breathing

Using a square or a box as a visual aid, you follow a sequence of inhale-hold-exhale-hold, each of them to the count of four.

Although I’ve not been able to find research papers on this specific breathing technique, there is a body of research that suggests that deep breathing has many benefits such as:

• helping reduce stress, anxiety, pain
• improving concentration.

⇒ Some research on diaphragmatic breathing:

• The effect of deep and slow breathing on pain perception, autonomic activity, and mood processing – an experimental study 
• The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect, and Stress in Healthy Adults-(read research)

How to Practice Square Breathing

• Inhale slowly through your nose filling up your lungs, to the count of four
• Hold your breath to the count of four
• Exhale slowly emptying the oxygen from your lungs to the count of four
• Hold your breath to the count of four.

The following square breathing video will help you understand better how this breathing exercise is executed.

And, you can also download a few box breathing visuals at the end of this post.

Adapted Box Breathing Visual for Kids

When practicing this breathing exercise with little kids or kids with disabilities, I find it a bit distracting to keep track of the 4 count.

We do a variation of the square breathing exercise that I find easier.

The important thing is to maintain the inhale-hold-exhale-hold sequence, emphasizing the slow breathing in and out.

I don’t ask them to count, but I still use the square drawing as visual support, and the corners of the square as breathing stops /holds.

You’ll be able to understand better how we practice this in the adapted box breathing visual below

How to Practice this Breathing Exercise:

• Deep breathe in slowly 
• Hold your breath when you reach the circle
• Breathe out slowly 
• Hold your breath when you reach the circle
• Continue the sequence

Square Breathing Game

I am always looking for ways to make breathing exercises fun.

I have prepared another take on the square breathing technique in which I mix a sensory input with the breathing exercise.

I use embossed cardstock to add a twist to the feel you get when you trace the square with your finger. 

How We Practice our Square Breathing Game

• Start on the heart and trace the square shape while we breathe in
• Hold your breath on point 1 (each number is a “breath holding point)
• Breathe out while you trace the next side
• Hold your breath in point 2
• Continue the sequence stopping/holding your breath on each subsequent number until you arrive at the smile message.

Materials Needed for your Breathing Activity

• Embossed cardstock in assorted colors (touching them while you follow the shape produces a nice sensory input)
• Glue
• Stickers for the numbers and the decoration motifs (arrow, heart, smile message). You may also use a pen to mark those points.

How to prepare this Deep Breathing Game

• Cut four squares of different colors 6 cm (2.4 in), 9 cm (3.5 in), 12 cm (4.7 in), and 15 cm (6 in) – I know it reads funny in inches but I did my measuring in cm, so it doesn’t look that great when you convert to inches.
• Glue them together so that the small one is on the center
• Stick numbered stickers to each corner, a heart on the starting point, and a smile sticker on the smaller square

Other Fun Breathing Exercises for kids

• Lazy 8 Breathing
• Belly Breathing for Kids Made Fun
• Yoga Breathing for Kids: Animal Breathing

Other Calming Resources in the Blog

• 60 Effective Calming Strategies
• 46 Anger Management Activities for Kids