Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
How to use 5-2-7 breathing for a long illness, when you have already had a long week
Simple counts — 5 · 2 · 7 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 5, hold for 2, then let the breath go for 7 counts. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The long exhale is the working part. A slow out-breath is one of the few direct levers you have on your own arousal level.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 5s |
| Exhale | 7s | 7s |
One round is 14 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 56 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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.