Breathing exercise · 5 · 7
5-7 breath (5 · 7) for a long illness, when nothing else has worked today
Simple counts — 5 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 5, then let the breath go for 7 counts. Nothing else has worked today. That is not a reason to skip this. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
It is hard to stay braced against something while breathing out slowly. The two do not sit well together.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 7s | 5s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- There are no holds in this one, which makes it a good choice if breath-holding makes you anxious.
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 Physiological sigh for heated moments, after eating too much, Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for exam nerves, before something difficult or 3-6 breathing exercise for physical discomfort — after a long day.