4-7-8 breathing timer
In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Strong downshift.
The pattern In 4 s · Hold 7 s · Out 8 s
The timer on this page is the app. Set the pace and press Begin.
How to do it
- Sit upright, with your back supported if you like.
- Breathe in through your nose for four seconds.
- Hold for seven seconds.
- Breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds, lips slightly parted.
- That is one round. Begin the next one straight away.
Using the timer on this page
- Go back to the timer at the top of this page. It has already opened on 4-7-8 breathing, set to the pattern printed above it.
- Set Breaths, anywhere from 2 to 12.
- Press Begin. The button shows how long the session will take with the settings you picked.
- Follow the figure: it grows as you breathe in, shrinks as you breathe out and stays where it is through a timed hold, while the screen names each phase. Pause or stop whenever you like.
What it does
The long exhale is the active part. Breathing out slower than in is what shifts the balance toward rest.
Where it comes from
Four counts in, seven held, eight out. The pattern was popularised by Dr Andrew Weil, who described it as drawn from pranayama breathing exercises.
The numbers describe proportions as much as lengths. The out-breath is twice the in-breath, and the one hold sits between them, after breathing in. There is no hold after breathing out.
Written down, it is usually given as counts. The timer runs it in seconds, which gives every cycle the same fixed length; the table below shows it.
Its longest phase is the out-breath, so it asks for a slow, even release rather than a quick one. The hold before it is long enough to notice, and the timer counts it down on screen so you do not have to.
At a glance
- Pattern
- In 4 s · Hold 7 s · Out 8 s
- One cycle
- 19 seconds
- Cadence
- about 3.2 breaths a minute
- Holds
- yes, part of the pattern
- Breaths
- adjustable, 2 to 12; 4 to start
- Pace
- fixed — the numbers are the pattern
- Runs
- in this browser, and in the app
Timing variations
The counts are the pattern, so they do not move: 4-7-8 has no pace setting and no rest to add. What you choose is how many breaths a session runs. Every breath is the same length, so the session grows in even steps, worked out below by the same code that runs the timer.
- 2 breaths
- 38 s
- 4 breaths
- 1 min 16 s
- 12 breaths
- 3 min 48 s
If a whole cycle feels long to start with, a short session is still the full pattern. Fewer breaths change how long you practise, never the shape of each breath.
Common questions
Why is the out-breath longer than the in-breath?
The ratio is the pattern. Eight out against four in makes the exhale the longest phase of the three, and that proportion is what the name describes.
Can I change the numbers?
Not on this one — the seven and the eight are what make it 4-7-8. If you want sides you can set yourself, box breathing and resonance both take an adjustable pace.
What if seven seconds is too long to hold?
Stop the round and breathe normally. Nothing here requires you to finish one.
Should I really breathe out through my mouth?
That is how the pattern is usually described. The timer does not know which you choose, so either works with it.
How many rounds does a session run?
Four by default. Set the number before you begin.
Is 4-7-8 the same as box breathing?
No. Box breathing has four phases of equal length, including a hold after the out-breath. 4-7-8 has three phases of different lengths and holds only after the in-breath.
Is there a 4-7-8 breathing timer online?
This page has one, at the top. It runs in your browser, opens on 4-7-8 with the counts already set, and starts when you press Begin.
Does the timer make a sound?
Yes. A guide tone carries the pace, so you can close your eyes and still keep the counts. Sound can be switched off in the settings, and the figure and the phase names carry the pattern on their own.
Why is the hold after the in-breath and not after the out-breath?
That is where the pattern puts it. The seven comes between breathing in and breathing out, and the next in-breath follows the out-breath straight away. A hold on both sides is box breathing.
Is a count of four the same as four seconds?
Not necessarily — a count is as fast as the person counting, and the long hold is where counts tend to drift. The timer uses seconds, so one cycle has the same length every time.
The app
Tide is a breathing timer that runs on your phone or in this browser. It opens ready to go and lets you set any pattern you like.
On your phone it runs with sound and haptics, and it works with no connection at all.