Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
5-2-7 breathing for a ten-minute window, after a long day
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
In for 5, hold for 2, out for 7. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Use it at the end of a long day, not at the start of one. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
This ratio is used a lot before sleep, because a long exhale is what your breathing already does as you fall asleep.
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 have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
Tips
- It is fine to breathe through your mouth if your nose is blocked. Nose is usually easier.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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: 5 rounds for the end of the working day, when nothing else has worked today, 2-1-4 breathing for a break at work, when you have been meaning to start or Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for a night shift — if you have five quiet minutes.