Breathing exercise · 7 · 11
7-11 breathing exercise for Sunday evening — when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Simple counts — 7 · 11 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 7, out for 11. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Feeling fine is a good reason to do this, not a reason to skip it. 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 | 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
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- 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 Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for the middle of the night, when the house is busy, How to use Gentle box breathing for a break at work, when you only have a few minutes or Coherent 6-6 breathing for bedtime, when you have woken up too early.