The Simple Breathwork Technique Kevin Gates Swears By
“A lot of times people don’t breathe. They walk around in a state of fight or flight because their brain is not receiving enough oxygen. So I connect with my breath. When the outside is chaotic, the center is calm. And that’s the way I keep myself calm in any stressful situation.”
— Kevin Gates
There’s something powerful about hearing someone who’s been through a lot talk about stillness. When Kevin Gates spoke about using his breath to stay grounded, I leaned in. It reminded me that peace isn’t something you chase. It’s something you return to. And sometimes, returning is as simple as breathing. If your mind’s been in a hundred places lately, this might help bring you back to one.
From Chaos to Calm: How Kevin Gates Talks About Breath
Kevin Gates never seemed like someone who was trying to sell an image. What he rapped about, he lived. You could feel it in his delivery and the way he carried himself.
So when he talks about breathwork now, it doesn’t come off as a trend or a talking point. Just by listening to him talk for a few minutes, you can tell that something has shifted in him. He credits his calm, almost joyful demeanor to his spiritual path, and breathwork is a big part of that.
Watching Kevin Gates open up on This Past Weekend with Theo Von felt like something I wasn’t expecting, but couldn’t stop listening to. That podcast has a way of pulling real things out of people, and this conversation was one of the deepest I’ve seen on there. Somewhere in the middle of it, Kevin talked about the breathwork practice he uses to stay balanced: box breathing.
What Is Box Breathing?
Box breathing is one of the simplest breathwork techniques out there. You can do it anywhere. It doesn’t require a calm environment, a long meditation session, or any specific equipment. And if you’ve never done breathwork before, this is an easy place to start.
Here’s how it works:
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds
- Hold again at the bottom for 4 seconds
Repeat that cycle at least four times. You can sit, stand, lie down, or even walk while doing it. Try to keep your breath smooth and relaxed. If it helps, imagine a square or box in your mind, following each edge as you move through the rhythm: inhale, hold, exhale, hold.
You don’t need to force anything. Just let yourself settle into the pace. This is the kind of breathing that helps bring you back when your thoughts are all over the place or when your body feels like it’s stuck in tension.
What If You Mess It Up?
During the interview, Theo innocently asked Kevin what happens if you lose your rhythm. What if you forget which part you’re on or start to panic?
Kevin’s answer was simple: “You gonna lose it. That’s a part of the practice. The object is to find your way back.”
That part stayed with me. We all drift. Sometimes we forget to breathe. We get caught up in the noise of our day or stuck in our heads. But that’s what makes breathwork priceless. It gives you something to return to. Every time you come back to your breath, you come back to yourself.
You might not even realize how far away your mind has gone until you pause and feel what it’s like to land again. One breath brings you closer. The next breath brings you deeper. And the more you return, the more you build that sense of grounded awareness.
Why It Matters
Kevin’s journey with mindfulness didn’t start from peace. It started in resistance. He’s talked about how he didn’t want anything to do with yoga when it was first introduced to him. But eventually, he opened up to it. That’s how this practice found its place in his life.
Not everyone is going to connect to meditation, journaling, or long silent mornings. But this is different. Breathing is something you already do. This just helps you do it with more presence.
To experience the benefit from breathwork, you can start small. Try it while you brush your teeth or while you do any simple chore around the house. Or give it a try right now while reading this.
Whenever you do try it, come back here and let me know how you feel. What shifted? What stayed the same? I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
If box breathing feels helpful, you might also like 4-7-8 Breathing. It’s another simple way to come back to yourself.
