4-7-8 breathing
In for four, held for seven, out for eight. The long exhale is the whole point: you spend twice as long letting go as taking in.
What it is
A pattern popularised by Dr Andrew Weil, built on much older pranayama practice. The counts matter less than their shape: a short inhale, a long pause, and an exhale twice the length of the inhale.
Why the long exhale
Of everything claimed for breathing exercises, the extended exhale has the clearest rationale. Breathing out slowly engages the parasympathetic side of the nervous system — the branch that lowers heart rate and unwinds the stress response — while breathing in nudges it the other way. Spending eight seconds out to every four in tips that balance deliberately.
You will see 4-7-8 described as a trick that puts you to sleep in a minute. Treat that with some scepticism: it is widely recommended and many people find it genuinely settling, but rigorous evidence for the specific ratio is thin. The slow, long exhale is the part doing the work.
How to practise
- Rest the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth, if that is comfortable, and empty your lungs.
- In through the nose for four.
- Hold for seven. This is the demanding part — it should be a pause, not a strain.
- Out through the mouth for eight, slowly and completely.
- Start with four rounds. It is more tiring than it looks.
When to use it
At night, lying down, when your mind will not stop. Also useful in the moment after a spike of anger or panic has passed and you want to come down.
The seven-count hold is a lot if you are new to this. If it feels like effort rather than rest, spend a week with coherent breathing first.
Breathing exercises are not suitable for everyone. If you feel dizzy or unwell, stop and breathe normally. This is not medical advice — see the terms.