Breathing exercise · 3 · 5 · 7
3-5-7 breathing: 5 rounds for travel days, when you are not sure this will work
A 3 · 5 · 7 rhythm — a staircase down: three, five, seven.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 3, hold for 5, out for 7. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
The out-breath is where the release happens. The in-breath is just the setup.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Hold | 5s | 3s |
| Exhale | 7s | 8s |
One round is 15 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 75 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
Please note
If holding your breath makes you dizzy or uncomfortable, skip the holds entirely and breathe slowly and evenly instead. Never push through lightheadedness. If you are pregnant, or manage a heart, blood pressure or lung condition, check with a doctor before doing breath holds.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Coherent 5-5 breathing: 5 rounds for the end of the working day, when nothing else has worked today, How to use 5-2-7 breathing for a long illness, when you have already had a long week or Slow box breathing exercise for jet lag — if you are doing this in the middle of the day.