Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing for a reset, when you are too tired to try hard
Simple counts — 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
At about six breaths a minute, the changes in heart rate and breathing tend to line up. That alignment is the whole idea.
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
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- 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.