The classical texts give one ratio for retained breathing: inhale one, hold four, exhale two. Start with a count of two — in for two, hold for eight, out for four — through one nostril, blocking the other with the thumb or little finger of the right hand (index and middle finger folded in: Vishnu mudra).

Ten rounds on the left side, then ten on the right. That's the whole sitting. When all twenty rounds at 2 · 8 · 4 feel easy — not survivable, easy — move to 4 · 16 · 8. The ratio grows across weeks, never within one day, and it drops back the moment a round feels like effort.

The hold is the part that trains steadiness: the body learns to wait, calmly, with the breath suspended, and that carries into every other moment of waiting. It is also the part that carries risk, which is why Delve won't offer it if you've told us about high blood pressure, a heart condition, pregnancy, panic attacks or asthma.