Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing: 4 rounds for heavy days, on a low-energy afternoon
A 5 · 2 · 7 rhythm — five, a brief hold, then seven out.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 5 counts to breathe in, hold for 2, and 7 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Low-energy afternoons are what this was written for. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
Because the exhale is long, the next inhale usually arrives on its own, without you having to pull for it.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 5s |
| Exhale | 7s | 7s |
One round is 14 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 56 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
Tips
- You can do this with your eyes open. Nothing here requires privacy.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- 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 Double-inhale sigh for being unwell, when you are waiting for something, Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for a noisy room, when you are too tired to try hard or Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for a ten-minute window, when you cannot concentrate on anything else.