Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breath (5 · 5) for coming down after exercise, when you have already had a long week
Simple counts — 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 5 seconds, out for 5 seconds. Same speed both ways, no pauses. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The steadiness is the point. You are giving your body a metronome.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 5s | 5s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- The counts are a guide. If a number feels too long, shorten every side by one.
- 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 How to use Coherent 6-6 breathing for days when everything is too much, before you go back to something hard, 4-7-8 breathing for Monday morning, when you cannot concentrate on anything else or 2-1-4 breathing for bedtime, when you are not in the mood.