Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for a noisy room, if you have five quiet minutes
Simple counts — 4 · 7 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The ratio is 4 in, hold for 7, 8 out. Only the out-breath needs any attention. Five quiet minutes is enough. Ten is generous. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The hold, where there is one, is short. The work is in the length of the release, not the pause.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 7s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 11s |
One round is 19 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 95 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
Tips
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- Do it before you need it once, so that it is familiar when you do.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 4-6 breath (4 · 6) for jet lag, Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for a break at work or 6-2-6-2 breathing exercise.