Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for deep focus — after a difficult conversation
5 · 5 breathing: five seconds in, five seconds out — about six breaths a minute.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, no holds at all. Difficult conversations leave a residue. This is for the residue. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Because the counts match, there is nothing to remember except "same speed both ways".
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
- before you walk into a room full of people
- just before you have to say something difficult
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 4-2-6 breath (4 · 2 · 6) for travel days, after eating too much, 3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for a cold morning, when you are on your own or Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for the end of the working day, when you feel fine and want to stay that way.