James L

Kentucky, USA

James

Milwaukee, WI, USA

Tracey Mac

Australia

Daniel M

Navan, Cumberland, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Lisa

London, UK

Anna 🌈

Exeter, United Kingdom

Marty 

Belfast, UK

tashi bhutia

Gangtok, India

Jillian

Paola R

Houston, TX, USA

Rahman Rafique

Albany, NY, USA

Vicki C

Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Practice a 5-5-5-5 breathwork technique to quiet your nervous system and create inner space.

English

This short guided breathwork session introduces the 5-5-5-5 technique: inhale for 5, hold for 5, exhale for 5, and hold again for 5. It’s a simple and effective method to calm the nervous system, regulate your emotions, and reset your focus—perfect for a midday reset or when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

A few minutes of this rhythmic breathing can shift your state and help you reconnect with your body and breath. No prior experience needed.

5-5-5-5 Breathwork Technique

Welcome to Day 22 of the Mid-Year Reset here on Insight Timer, your daily moment to pause, reflect and return to yourself. Consistency is where real change begins. Enjoy today's session. Hi, I'm Bianca Harris and today we'll be doing a short breathing practice using a simple rhythm of inhaling, holding, exhaling and pausing. This pattern helps quiet the nervous system and create more space inside your mind and body. Let's begin. Find a comfortable seat and let your body settle. Feel the ground beneath you. When you're ready, gently close your eyes and soften your gaze. Let's begin by taking a natural breath in and a slow breath out. Now moving into our technique, we'll breathe in for five counts. Hold for five counts. Exhale for five counts. And then hold the breath out for five counts. Breathe in for five. Hold for five. Exhale for five. And then hold the breath out for five. Again, breathing in for five counts. Hold at the top. Exhale for five. And then hold the breath out for five. Imagine yourself holding your breath right outside the navel. We begin again, breathing in for five. Holding at the top for five. Exhale, let it go. Hold the breath out. Again, feeling the belly. Exhale, release. Hold the breath out. One final round, just like this. Breathing in for five counts. Holding for five. Let it go. Beautiful work. We're going to breathe in here, fill the belly. Hold at the top briefly. And then exhale, side out. Release any tension in the brows, in the jaw. Relax the tongue. Allow the technique to settle over the body, over the mind. Relaxing completely here. Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm. Taking a notice in how you feel. Thank you for practicing with me. You can return to this practice any time for a quick reset. As many times as you need to throughout the day. And consider this, where are you rushing that could instead be an invitation to slow down? Maybe using this practice as your anchor.