Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for the morning after — when you need something unremarkable
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. Nothing dramatic happens here, and that is deliberate. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
It gives your body a rhythm to settle into, without asking it to do anything clever.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 5s | 5s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 40 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 Slow box breathing exercise for a hot day — if you have five quiet minutes, Tight box breathing: 4 rounds for the early months, when you are cold and want to be warm or 4-2-6 breathing exercise for heavy days — when you have tried everything else.