How do you do triangle breathing?

The count can change. The NHS leaflets use 3. The timer on this page and the Steady app use 4 for each side. Both are the same pattern: 3 parts of equal length.

How do you do triangle breathing? The Short Answer

Step	What to do	Count (NHS leaflet)	Count (timer on this page)
1	Breathe in	3	4
2	Hold your breath	3	4
3	Breathe out	3	4
Repeat	Start the next breath

The Triangle Breathing Technique, Step by Step

The St George’s leaflet asks you to trace a triangle with your eyes or your finger while you breathe. You can draw the triangle on paper or picture it in your mind.

1. Start at the bottom left corner. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Breathe in for 3. Trace the first side of the triangle while you count.
3. Hold for 3. Trace the second side.
4. Breathe out for 3. Trace the last side back to the start. This is one deep breath.
5. Repeat. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) says to repeat as necessary.

Use the timer on this page to keep the count. It uses 4 seconds for each side. If 4 feels too long, count 3 in your head instead.

The method has no special equipment and no fixed session length. Neither NHS leaflet gives a number of minutes. For a guide figure, the NHS breathing exercise for stress says to repeat its exercise for at least 5 minutes.

Why It Is Called the Breathing Triangle

A triangle has 3 sides. Triangle breathing has 3 parts, so each part is one side. When the counts are equal, the triangle has 3 equal sides.

The shape gives your eyes and your mind one simple task. You follow the line and count. You do not need to remember the order of the steps, because the shape shows it.

The RNOH lists triangular breathing next to square breathing (4 counts in, hold, out, hold) and 4-7-8 breathing. It says that deep breathing techniques can help calm your body’s reactions to stress and pain.

A different breathing triangle

Not every “breathing triangle” uses a hold. A leaflet from NHS Lothian for breathing pattern training uses a triangle with these 3 sides:

• Breathe in gently for a count of 2.
• Breathe out gently for a count of 3.
• Pause for a count of 1.

The leaflet says to keep your mouth closed and to breathe out for about twice as long as you breathe in. It says to practise for 10 minutes, twice per day. This leaflet is for children and young people in a breathing pattern training program, so follow it with the advice of your care team.

If breath holds feel uncomfortable, this version is an option. It has no hold.

Triangle Breathing vs Box Breathing

The two methods are close. The difference is one breath hold.

Cleveland Clinic describes box breathing as 4 counts in, hold, out and hold. It says to repeat this 3 to 4 times. Read the full steps in How do you do box breathing?.

Which one to choose? Triangle breathing has one hold less in each breath. Some people find it easier for that reason. Box breathing gives a longer cycle. No study we found compares the two.

What the Research Says

We found no study that tests triangle breathing on its own. The sources for this guide are NHS patient leaflets. They describe the method. They do not measure its effect.

The closest research is one randomized study in Cell Reports Medicine (Balban et al., 2023). The study had 108 adults. Each person did 5 minutes of one exercise each day for 1 month. It compared 3 breathing exercises with mindfulness meditation:

• Cyclic sighing. An exercise with long exhales.
• Box breathing. Equal counts of breathing in, holding and breathing out.
• Cyclic hyperventilation with retention. Long inhales and short exhales.

The exhale-focused cyclic sighing gave a larger increase in positive mood than meditation. Box breathing, the method closest to triangle breathing, did not beat meditation. This was one small study, and it did not test triangle breathing.

So triangle breathing is a simple, free way to slow and count your breath. The evidence for it as a separate method is very limited. Online claims that it relieves anxiety go further than the sources.

Common Mistakes

Do not strain on the hold. If the hold feels hard, make the count shorter. Use 2 or 3 instead of 4.

Do not rush the count. Count slowly and evenly. The 3 sides of the triangle are the same length.

Do not force the breath. The NHS says to breathe in gently and regularly, and to let the breath flow out gently. You may not reach the full count at first.

Talk to a doctor first if you have a breathing condition. Cleveland Clinic says that people with COPD, asthma or anxiety should talk to their provider about diaphragmatic breathing. Ask about the breath hold in triangle breathing too.

How to Practise Triangle Breathing With Steady

You do not need an app for triangle breathing. A triangle on paper and a slow count are enough. Steady is a breathing timer for iPhone and iPad that keeps the count for you.

• Triangle Breathing program. Steady has a built-in Triangle Breathing program (“Stress Reliever”) with a 4 – 4 – 4 pattern. You do not need to set it up. See breathing programs.
• Custom Program. For the NHS count of 3, make your own pattern. Set Inhale, Inhale Hold and Exhale to 3 seconds each, and Exhale Hold to 0. See custom programs.
• Audio and Vibration Cues. A voice or a vibration tells you when to change phase. You can practise with your eyes closed. Background ambience sounds are also available. See cues and ambience.
• Daily Reminders. Set up to 3 reminders. See reminders.
• My Stats. See your total minutes, sessions and streaks. See stats and badges.

Some features need Steady Pro. Steady does not diagnose or treat a condition. It is a timer that helps you practise.

For a pattern with no hold, read How do you do belly breathing? and How do you do ujjayi breathing?.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about symptoms.