Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing: 5 rounds for a hard conversation, if you are sceptical about all of this
Rounds of 5 · 2 · 7, with the counting done for you.
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. Scepticism is welcome. You do not have to believe anything for this to work. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The long exhale is the working part. A slow out-breath is one of the few direct levers you have on your own arousal level.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 70 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 4-8 breathing for the hours after people leave, when you have tried everything else, Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for the early months, when you are somewhere unfamiliar or Beginner box breathing for Sunday evening, when you have already had a long week.