Breathing exercise · 7 · 11
7-11 breathing for heated moments, when you are waiting for something
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. Waiting is dead time you can spend on this instead. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
You are not emptying your lungs, just taking longer to do it. The extra seconds are where the effect lives.
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
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- 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.