Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing: 8 rounds for the hours after people leave, when you have just finished work
5 · 5 breathing: five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 5, out for 5, with nothing held in between. Repeat for as long as you have. The gap right after work is the easiest one to use. Let the physical world hold your attention.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- 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 7-11 breathing for days when everything is too much, on a day that started badly, 7-11 breath (7 · 11) for a study session, if you are new to this or Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for a long illness — when you only have a few minutes.