Breathing exercise · 5 · 7
How to use 5-7 breathing for a hard week, if you are fitting this around other people
5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 5 counts to breathe in, and 7 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. It is designed to fit around other people’s schedules. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The ratio slows the whole breath cycle without requiring you to breathe deeply.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 7s | 5s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 60 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 4-6 breath (4 · 6) for travel days, when you are somewhere noisy, How to use 2-1-4 breathing for a cold morning, when you are at home and cannot settle or Box breath (4 · 4 · 4 · 4) for heated moments, when you are not sure this will work.