Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing: 5 rounds for deep focus, when the weather has kept you inside
5 · 5 breathing: five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count 5 on the way in and 5 on the way out. Keep them the same length. Bad weather is a decent excuse to stay in and do this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
Six breaths a minute is slow enough to be noticeable and unremarkable enough to keep up.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 5s | 5s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 50 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- A shorter pattern done consistently beats a longer one done once.
- 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 How to use 4-6 breathing for a grey day, when you are on your own, 5-2-7 breathing: 12 rounds for a hard week, after a difficult conversation or Uneven box breathing for jet lag, when you feel fine and want to stay that way.