Breathing exercise · 5 · 7
5-7 breathing — 5 · 7 — for travel days, on a low-energy afternoon
A five in, seven out pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The ratio is 5 in, 7 out. Only the out-breath needs any attention. Low-energy afternoons are what this was written for. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
The exhale is doing the counting for you, which means you have less attention left over to worry with.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 7s | 5s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
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 (2 · 6) for a lonely evening, 3-5-7 breathing: 10 rounds for the morning after or 6-2-6-2 breathing — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — for a big decision, before you go back to something hard.