Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for a noisy room, when you have been on screens all day
Rounds of 5 · 2 · 7, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 5, hold for 2, out for 7. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. After a day of screens, the eyes and the shoulders need this first. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
You are not emptying your lungs, just taking longer to do it. The extra seconds are where the effect lives.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 84 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
Tips
- There is no need to breathe deeply. Long and quiet is the aim.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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.