{"id":9080,"date":"2025-11-15T12:33:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T12:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/?post_type=hulpbronnen&#038;p=9080"},"modified":"2025-11-15T13:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T13:36:03","slug":"square-breathing","status":"publish","type":"hulpbronnen","link":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/en\/hulpbronnen\/vierkante-ademhaling\/","title":{"rendered":"Box breathing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9080\" class=\"elementor elementor-9080\" data-elementor-post-type=\"hulpbronnen\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61d5608 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"61d5608\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa7ed0d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aa7ed0d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Expensive<\/strong>: 1 - 5 minutes<\/p><p><strong>When<\/strong>:<\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you feel restless or anxious.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As preparation for a difficult task.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b08137 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7b08137\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8538627 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8538627\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Introduction<\/h2><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd23d8e elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget-mobile__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fd23d8e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><p>Breathing plays a major role in how you can regulate yourself. A calm, even breathing helps you organize your mind, relax your body, and improve your focus and concentration.<\/p><p>Do this exercise when you are restless or as a preparation for a complex task. At the bottom of this page you will also find a video with an explanation.<\/p><\/div><\/div><h2>This is how you do the exercise<\/h2><p>The exercise you see in the video below goes as follows:<\/p><p data-start=\"655\" data-end=\"797\">The square breathing \u2013 also known as box breathing or <em>box breathing<\/em> named \u2013 consists of four equal parts. You give each phase of your breathing equal space and attention.<\/p><ul data-start=\"799\" data-end=\"1218\"><li data-start=\"799\" data-end=\"878\"><p data-start=\"802\" data-end=\"878\">Sit or stand upright. Take a moment to feel how you are sitting.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"879\" data-end=\"931\"><p data-start=\"882\" data-end=\"931\">Take a deep breath in and exhale through your mouth.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"932\" data-end=\"1027\">Breathe in 4 deep breaths (flatter your rib cage), hold your breath for 4 breaths, and exhale in four breaths. Hold your breath for 4 more breaths.<\/li><li data-start=\"932\" data-end=\"1027\">Repeat the square breathing 4 times.<br \/>In particular, holding your breath can cause unnecessary tension in your face. Try to relax your face and jaw.<\/li><li data-start=\"932\" data-end=\"1027\">Take a deep breath in and out again. Feel the effect for a moment afterwards.<\/li><\/ul><h3>Training equanimity<\/h3><p>By giving each part of your breathing the same attention, you practice equanimity: beyond good or bad. The short breaks help you maintain contact with yourself, the other person, or the task you are facing.<\/p><h3 data-start=\"1518\" data-end=\"1541\">Expressive variant<\/h3><p data-start=\"1543\" data-end=\"1750\">If you enjoy adding movement and creativity, you can also make this exercise visual. By drawing, you can shape your breathing on paper and record your deeper breathing.<\/p><ul data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"2157\"><li data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1829\"><p data-start=\"1755\" data-end=\"1829\">Print a page with squares or start by sketching a group of squares on a piece of paper with a pen, pencil, or any other material of your choice.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1829\"><p data-start=\"1755\" data-end=\"1829\">\u00a0<\/p>Slowly move the side of the square while breathing in to the 4th count; hold 4 counts and then move the next side of the square while breathing out and count again to 4; finally, hold 4 counts.<\/li><li data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1829\">Repeat this as often as you like.<\/li><li data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1829\">Then go on to the next square on the page and repeat these steps.<\/li><\/ul><p data-start=\"2159\" data-end=\"2280\">If you like it, you can change the color for each square. That makes for a colorful and fun arrangement. Follow your own needs!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d3bdd04 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"d3bdd04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/vierkante-ademhaling.mov\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-544cc77 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"544cc77\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Background<\/h3><p>This exercise was shared by Auke Smit. Auke shares it via her social media accounts (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/youblossom_org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@YouBlossom<\/a>) tools to inspire people to use creative self-expression in their recovery. Her work is based on her personal experience of healing. <a href=\"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/en\/information\/what-is-complex-trauma\/\">complex trauma<\/a> and her expertise as a visual therapist.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This breathing exercise helps you clear your mind, relax your body, and improve your focus and concentration.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0},"doelgroep":[12],"hulpbron-categorie":[79,55,71],"thema":[49],"trefwoord":[],"class_list":["post-9080","hulpbronnen","type-hulpbronnen","status-publish","hentry","doelgroep-iemand-met-trauma","hulpbron-categorie-creatief","hulpbron-categorie-regulatie","hulpbron-categorie-ademhaling","thema-omgaan-met-trauma"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vierkante ademhaling - 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