Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breath (5 · 5 · 5 · 5) for a long illness, before you go back to something hard
Simple counts — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 5 in, 5 held, 5 out, 5 held. Nothing else to remember. Five minutes here is cheaper than an hour of grinding. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Hold | 5s | 5s |
| Exhale | 5s | 10s |
| Hold again | 5s | 15s |
One round is 20 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- while you are waiting for something to start
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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.