Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for a study session, when the weather has kept you inside
Simple counts — 5 · 2 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. Bad weather is a decent excuse to stay in and do this. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Long exhales give the diaphragm a slow, full range of movement, which is why the shoulders often drop on their own.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 140 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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 exercise for bedtime — when you want to finish something, 3-5-7 breathing for anxious moments, when you have just finished work or Physiological sigh: 5 rounds for the morning after, when you have been meaning to start.