Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing: 5 rounds for the commute
A 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 rhythm — a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 5, 5, 5, 5 — and you trace it with your breath. Five minutes here is cheaper than an hour of grinding. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
Four sides means four small completions. Each one is a tiny piece of evidence that you can finish something.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
Tips
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- You can do this with your eyes open. Nothing here requires privacy.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 Coherent 6-6 breath (6 · 6) for a lonely evening, Beginner box breathing exercise or Tight box breathing exercise for heavy days.