Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing exercise for heavy days — when you want to be left alone
A 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 rhythm — a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 5 on the way in, 5 at the top, 5 on the way out, 5 at the bottom. Repeat. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Equal breathing tends to even out the differences between your in-breath and out-breath over a few minutes.
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
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- before a presentation, in the corridor
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Coherent 6-6 breath (6 · 6) for days when everything is too much, when you want something simple, Beginner box breathing for jet lag, when you feel restless rather than tired or 7-11 breathing: 8 rounds for a hospital waiting room, before something difficult.