Breathing exercise · 7 · 11
7-11 breathing — 7 · 11 — for heavy days, when you have already had a long week
Simple counts — 7 · 11 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 7 counts to breathe in, and 11 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
Because the exhale is long, the next inhale usually arrives on its own, without you having to pull for it.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 7s | 0s |
| Exhale | 11s | 7s |
One round is 18 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 90 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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 Uneven box breathing for jet lag, when you feel fine and want to stay that way, Beginner box breathing for heated moments, when you are not in the mood or 4-2-6 breathing for a long illness, when you are on your own.