Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing exercise for heated moments — before you go back to something hard
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. Five minutes here is cheaper than an hour of grinding. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The ratio slows the whole breath cycle without requiring you to breathe deeply.
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 weather has been grey for a week
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- 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.