Breathing exercise · 5 · 2 · 7
How to use 5-2-7 breathing for deep focus
5 · 2 · 7 breathing: five, a brief hold, then seven out.
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. Waking too early is a specific kind of frustrating. This helps with the frustration. 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 | 5s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 5s |
| Exhale | 7s | 7s |
One round is 14 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 112 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
Tips
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for a hard week, Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a long wait, if you are doing this in the middle of the day or 4-2-6 breathing: 4 rounds for Friday evening.