Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for Sunday evening — when you are somewhere unfamiliar
Rounds of 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Equal breathing: 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, no holds at all. It travels well. Hotels, spare rooms, other people’s sofas. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
It is a good first exercise if every other pattern feels like too many instructions.
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 a presentation, in the corridor
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
Tips
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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.