Breathing exercise · 7 · 11
7-11 breathing for a hard week, when you are doing this for the first time
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. If this is your first go, stay with the plainest version of the instructions. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
If you are feeling revved up, this is one of the fastest honest ways to take the edge off without pretending.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 7s | 0s |
| Exhale | 11s | 7s |
One round is 18 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 144 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- 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 4-2-6 breathing for the early months, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, Tight box breathing exercise for a lonely evening — when you have already had a long week or Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for the early months — when you have been putting it off.