Breathing exercise · 3 · 5 · 7
How to use 3-5-7 breathing for the commute, when you are doing this for the first time
Simple counts — 3 · 5 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 3 counts to breathe in, hold for 5, and 7 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. If this is your first go, stay with the plainest version of the instructions. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
You are not emptying your lungs, just taking longer to do it. The extra seconds are where the effect lives.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Hold | 5s | 3s |
| Exhale | 7s | 8s |
One round is 15 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 60 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- just before you have to say something difficult
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 5-2-7 breath (5 · 2 · 7) for the early months, when you are too tired to try hard, 4-2-6 breath (4 · 2 · 6) for deep focus, when you want to be left alone or Coherent 5-5 breathing — 5 · 5 — for physical discomfort, if you are new to this.