Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing — 5 · 5 — for heavy days, when you are somewhere noisy
Rounds of 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Match the length of the out-breath to the in-breath — about 5 seconds each way. Noise is fine. You are not trying to hear anything subtle. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- No holds means no buildup. The rhythm does all the work.
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 Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for the morning after, when you only have a few minutes, 5-2-7 breathing: 12 rounds for a hard week, after a difficult conversation or Coherent 5-5 breath (5 · 5) for a noisy room, when you need something unremarkable.