Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing exercise for a hard week — when you are on your own
A 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 rhythm — a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
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. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. 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 6 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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 breathing: 12 rounds for the early months, when you are on your own, Physiological sigh — 2 · 6 — for a hard week, when the weather has kept you inside or Coherent 5-5 breathing exercise for bedtime — when you want to finish something.