Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing exercise for a hot day — when you are too tired to try hard
The pattern is 5 · 2 · 7, which is 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. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
Because it is one-directional, there is less to remember than with a hold. That makes it easier to keep going.
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
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- before you walk into a room full of people
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- 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 How to use Double-inhale sigh for days when everything is too much, when you have tried everything else, 4-6 breathing for a ten-minute window, when you are not in the mood or 4-8 breath (4 · 8) for exam nerves, when you only have a few minutes.